Leeward Antilles

Not to be confused with Leeward Islands.

Map of the Leeward Antilles

The Leeward Antilles (Dutch: Benedenwindse Eilanden) are a chain of islands in the Caribbean – specifically, the southerly islands of the Lesser Antilles (and, in turn, the Antilles and the West Indies) along the southeastern fringe of the Caribbean Sea, just north of the Venezuelan coast of the South American mainland. The Leeward Antilles, while among the Lesser Antilles, are not to be confused with the Leeward Islands (also of the Lesser Antilles) to the northeast.

Largely lacking in volcanic activity, the Leeward Antilles island arc occurs along the deformed southern edge of the Caribbean Plate and was formed by the plate's subduction under the South American Plate. Recent studies indicate that the Leeward Antilles are accreting to South America.

Islands

The Leeward Antilles comprise (roughly from west to east):

• 
  ABC islands (all part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands):
  
  
  
  • 
    Aruba, a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
    
  
  
  • 
    Curaçao, a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
    
  
  
  • 
    Bonaire, part of the Caribbean Netherlands (public body of the European Netherlands)
  
  
  
  


• 
  Federal Dependencies of Venezuela
  
  
  
  • Los Monjes Archipelago
  
  
  • La Tortuga Island
  
  
  • La Sola Island
  
  
  • Los Testigos Islands
  
  
  • Los Frailes Islands
  
  
  • Patos Island
  
  
  • Los Roques Archipelago
  
  
  • Blanquilla Island
  
  
  • Los Hermanos Archipelago
  
  
  • Orchila Island
  
  
  • Las Aves Archipelago
  
  
  • Aves Island
  
  
  
  


• 
  Nueva Esparta State (Venezuela)
  
  
  
  • Margarita Island
  
  
  • Coche
  
  
  • Cubagua
  
  
  
  

References

• Levander, Alan, et al. 2006 (28 February). Evolution of the Southern Caribbean Plate Boundary. (abstract; article) Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union, 87(9): 97,100.


• Levander, Alan, et al. 2006 (accessed 27 August). Collaborative Research: Crust-Mantle Interactions During Continental Growth and High-Pressure Rock Exhumation at an Oblique Arc-Continent Collision Zone: Geology of Northeastern Venezuela. SE Caribbean Plate Boundary Continental Dynamics Project. Houston, TX: Rice University.

v t e Caribbean
Greater Antilles	Cayman Islands Cuba Dominican Republic Haiti Jamaica Puerto Rico
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Windward Islands	Dominica Grenada Martinique Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
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Coordinates: 12°11′10″N 68°59′22″W / 12.18611°N 68.98944°W / 12.18611; -68.98944

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