(lō'Әrd, lyō'–, lē'–), northern group of the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies, extending SE from Puerto Rico to the Windward Islands. The principal islands are the American Virgin Islands ; the French island and overseas dept. of Guadeloupe and its dependencies; the Dutch islands of St. Eustatius and Saba ; the Dutch and French St. Martin ; the islands of the independent states of St. Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda ; and the islands of the British dependent territories of Anguilla , Montserrat , and the British Virgin Islands. Largely volcanic in origin, the Leewards have lush, subtropical vegetation, rich soil, and abundant rainfall. The warm, delightful climate is tempered by the surrounding water so that there is little variation in temperature. Most of the islands are popular tourist destinations. Products are mostly agricultural—fruits, vegetables, sugar, cotton, coffee, and tobacco. Columbus first sighted the Leeward Islands in 1493, but settlement began only after the…