Leeward Islands
As islands under the wind , also islands behind the wind (in non-German-language maps or in those with international lettering also English Leeward Islands , Dutch Benedenwindse Eilanden , French Îles sous le vent , Portuguese Ilhas do Sotavento or Spanish Islas de Sotavento ) one in German is the leeward, mostly western half of larger island groups in tropical sea regions. This name comes from historical seafaring and is due to the fact that the trade winds blow over the tropical seas , which come mainly from the east. The windward, mostly eastern halves of these archipelagos are accordingly called islands over the wind .
The following archipelagos are called islands under the wind :
the southwestern islands (Dutch Benedenwindse Eilanden , Spanish Islas de Sotavento , English Leeward Antilles ) of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean , in the area of influence of the northeast trade winds | |
the northwestern part (Engl. Leeward Islands ) of the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean - in German, this subdivision not common | |
the western part (French: Îles sous le Vent ) of the Society Islands in the Central Pacific, located in the area of influence of the southeast trade winds, including Bora Bora , Huahine , Maupiti , Raiatea (with Uturoa), Tahaa , Tupai , Manuae , Maupihaa and Motu One (Bellingshausen) . | |
the southern part (Portuguese: Ilhas do Sotavento ) of Cape Verde in the western central Atlantic, in the area of influence of the northeast trade winds | |
the western part (English Leeward Islands or Northwestern Islands ) of the Hawaii island chain in the central Pacific, located in the area of influence of the northeast trade winds |