The name of this island group, Leeward Islands, dates from previous centuries, when sailing ships were the sole form of transportation across the Atlantic Ocean. In sailing terminology, "windward" means towards the source of the wind, while "leeward" is the opposite direction. read more
The Windward Islands are southeastern islands of the Caribbean. They’re called the Windward Islands because they’re exposed to the wind (“windward”) of the northeast trade winds (northeasterlies). The Windward Islands include. Martinique; Barbados; St. Lucia; St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Grenada; The Leeward Islands are the northwestern islands of the Lesser Antilles. read more
Neat question! As I live on a barrier island, I have a particular interest in this topic. A good explanation of how they form can be found at: Barrier island - Wikipedia. It does a pretty good job of describing the HOW. Some additional things I would add: Barrier islands can form, and vanish, in a matter of months. read more