Leeward Islands

Located in the eastern Caribbean Sea, the Leeward Islands extend from Puerto Rico to the Windward Islands, forming part of the Lesser Antilles chain.

Residents and tourists alike bask in the islands' warm trade winds and year-round sunshine; tropical rain forests, dazzling coral reefs, and white, gold, or pink sand beaches attract visitors from around the world. Two independent countries, Antigua and Barbuda, and St.

Kitts and Nevis, are among the 15 islands that make up the Leeward Islands.

Other well-known tourist sites include the British dependencies Anguilla and Montserrat, and territories claimed by the Dutch (St.

Eustatius, Saba, and Sint Maarten) and French (Guadeloupe).

The many popular tourist resorts on these islands play a powerful role in the economy, as do offshore banking and lobster fishing.