The Antilles (the same in French; Antillas in Spanish; Antillen in Dutch) refers to the islands forming the greater part of the West Indies in the Caribbean. The Antilles are divided into two major groups: the larger "Greater Antilles" to the north including Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic), and Puerto Rico; and the "Lesser Antilles" on the southeast — comprised of the northerly Leeward Islands, the southerly Windward Islands, and Venezuelan off-shore islands. The Bahamas, though part of the West Indies, are not among the Antillean islands. Central America and the Caribbean (detailed pdf map) The Caribbean, (Spanish: Caribe; French: Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Dutch: Cariben or Caraïben, or more commonly Antillen) or the West Indies, is a group of islands and countries which are in or border the Caribbean Sea which lies on... The Greater Antilles, an island group in the Caribbean Sea, are part of the Antilles. ... Early map of Hispaniola The island of Hispaniola (from Spanish, La Española) is the second-largest island of the Antilles, lying east of Cuba. ... The Lesser Antilles are part of the Antilles, which together with the Bahamas form the West Indies. ... The Leeward Islands are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles. ... This article is about the Caribbean island group. ... The Federal Dependencies of Venezuela encompass all of Venezuelas off shore islands in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Venezuela. ...

The Greater Antilles are made up of continental rock, as distinct from the Lesser Antilles, which are mostly young volcanic or coral islands. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Lesser Antilles are part of the Antilles, which together with the Bahamas form the West Indies. ... A volcano is a geological landform usually generated by the eruption through a planets surface of magma, molten rock welling up from the planets interior. ...

Geographically, the Antilles are typically reckoned as part of North America. Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico – due to the prevalence of Spanish – are included in Latin America. Map of the Earth ( Medium) ( Large 2 MB) Table of geography, hydrography, and navigation, from the 1728 Cyclopaedia. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ...

Background

Like the name Brazil, the word Antilles dates from a period before the discovery of the New World, "Antilia" being one of those mysterious lands which figured on the medieval charts sometimes as an archipelago, sometimes as continuous land of greater or lesser extent, constantly fluctuating in mid-ocean between the Canaries and East India. Carte dAmérique, Guillaume Delisle, c. ... Antillia (or Antilia) was a phantom island said to lie in the Atlantic Ocean far to the west of Spain. ... A chart is a graphic whore of some data. ... An archipelago is a landform which consists of a chain or cluster of islands. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

After discovery of the West Indies by Christopher Columbus in 1492 and the realisation that they comprised an extensive archipelago enclosing the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, the Spanish term Antillas was commonly assigned to the new lands. Stemming from this, "Sea of the Antilles" is a common alternate name for the Caribbean Sea in various European languages. Central America and the Caribbean (detailed pdf map) The Caribbean, (Spanish: Caribe; French: Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Dutch: Cariben or Caraïben, or more commonly Antillen) or the West Indies, is a group of islands and countries which are in or border the Caribbean Sea which lies on... Christopher Columbus (ca. ... Map of Central America and the Caribbean The Caribbean (pronounced or ) Sea is a tropical sea in the Western Hemisphere, part of the Atlantic Ocean, southeast of the Gulf of Mexico. ... Gulf of Mexico in 3D perspective. ...

Greater Antilles

Main article: Greater Antilles. The Greater Antilles, an island group in the Caribbean Sea, are part of the Antilles. ...

• Cuba
• Hispaniola
  • Dominican Republic
  • Haiti
• Jamaica
• Puerto Rico (U.S. commonwealth)

Early map of Hispaniola The island of Hispaniola (from Spanish, La Española) is the second-largest island of the Antilles, lying east of Cuba. ... The English noun Commonwealth dates originally from the fifteenth century. ...

Lesser Antilles

Main article: Lesser Antilles. The Lesser Antilles are part of the Antilles, which together with the Bahamas form the West Indies. ...

• Anguilla (Br.)
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Aruba (Neth.)
• Barbados
• Bonaire (Neth. Ant.)
• British Virgin Islands
• Cayman Islands (Br.)
• Curaçao (Neth. Ant.)
• Dominica
• Grenada
• Guadeloupe (Fr.)
• Martinique (Fr.)
• Montserrat (Br.)
• Netherlands Antilles (Neth.)
• Redonda (part of Antigua and Barbuda)
• Saba (Neth. Ant.)
• Saint Barthélemy (Fr.)
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Martin (Fr.)/ Sint Maarten (Neth. Ant.)
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Saint Eustatius (a.k.a. "Statia") (Neth. Ant.)
• Trinidad and Tobago
• U.S. Virgin Islands

Flag of Bonaire Bonaire is an island in the Netherlands Antilles, and as such, is a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. ... Curaçao (pronounced [kurasão]) is an island in the southern part of the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Venezuela. ... Redonda is an uninhabited island dependency of Antigua and Barbuda. ... National motto: Remis Velisque. ... Gustavia Harbor, St. ... St. ... St. ... Map showing location of Sint Eustatius relative to Saba and Sint Maarten/Saint Martin Sint Eustatius (also Saint Eustace and Statia), pop. ...

References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.