Leeward Islands (Antilles)

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Georeferencing Map with all coordinates: OSM | WikiMap
Map section of the Caribbean. Leeward Islands highlighted in blue

The Leeward Islands (Dutch Benedenwindse Eilanden , Spanish Islas de Sotavento , English Leeward Antilles ) are a group of islands off the north coast of South America in the Caribbean and the southern part of the Lesser Antilles . They are not influenced by the northeast trade winds like the Leeward Islands and therefore have a much drier climate . The English language refers to the islands as "Leeward Antilles", as opposed to the "Leeward Islands" and "Windward Islands" which are part of the Leeward Islands.

The islands cover an area of ​​around 2,400 km², most of the 670,000 inhabitants live on Aruba, Curaçao and Margarita.

The islands of Margarita, Cubagua and Coche form the Venezuelan state of Nueva Esparta . The so-called " ABC Islands " (Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao) belong to the Kingdom of the Netherlands . The other islands belong with the Aves Island to the approximately 600 islands of the Dependencias Federales ("Dependent Federal Territories") of Venezuela .

The individual islands and groups of islands

Order from west to east
Surname Coordinates Political Affiliation
Archipelago Los Monjes 12 ° 21 ′  N , 70 ° 55 ′  W. Dependencias Federales
Aruba 12 ° 30 ′  N , 69 ° 58 ′  W. Country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Curacao 12 ° 11 ′  N , 68 ° 59 ′  W Coordinates: 12 ° 11 ′  N , 68 ° 59 ′  W Country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Klein Curacao 12 ° 0 ′  N , 68 ° 39 ′  W. Part of Curaçao
Bonaire 12 ° 11 ′  N , 68 ° 16 ′  W. Special municipality of the Netherlands
Little Bonaire 12 ° 9 ′  N , 68 ° 19 ′  W. Part of Bonaire
Islas Las Aves 12 ° 0 ′  N , 67 ° 34 ′  W. Dependencias Federales
Archipelago Los Roques 11 ° 51 ′  N , 66 ° 45 ′  W. Dependencias Federales
Isla La Orchila 11 ° 48 ′  N , 66 ° 8 ′  W. Dependencias Federales
Isla La Tortuga 10 ° 56 '  N , 65 ° 18'  W Dependencias Federales
Isla La Blanquilla 11 ° 51 ′  N , 64 ° 36 ′  W. Dependencias Federales
Archipelago Los Hermanos 11 ° 46 ′  N , 64 ° 25 ′  W. Dependencias Federales
Isla Margarita 11 ° 1 ′  N , 63 ° 55 ′  W. Nueva Esparta
Cubagua 10 ° 50 ′  N , 64 ° 10 ′  W. Nueva Esparta
Isla Coche 10 ° 47 ′  N , 63 ° 56 ′  W. Nueva Esparta
Archipelago Los Frailes 11 ° 13 ′  N , 63 ° 45 ′  W. Dependencias Federales
Isla La Sola 11 ° 19 ′  N , 63 ° 30 ′  W. Dependencias Federales
Archipelago Los Testigos 11 ° 23 ′  N , 63 ° 7 ′  W. Dependencias Federales