Windward Islands, an island chain at the eastern end of the Caribbean Sea, in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies. The Windwards consist of four main islands—Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Grenada—and several hundred tiny islets, most of which make up the Grenadines, between St. Vincent and Grenada. Dominica, just north of Martinique, is sometimes included in the Windward group. Of volcanic origin, the islands are rugged and mountainous, with densely forested peaks that generally rise 2,000 to 4,000 feet (600 to 1,200 m) above sea level. The highest is 4,583-foot (1,397-m) Mount Pelée, a volcano on Martinique.
Economic activities in the Windwards are primarily agricultural, based on the cultivation and export of various tropical crops. Tourism, though less developed than on many Caribbean islands, is increasingly important. The islanders are mainly blacks, the descendants of slaves imported to work on colonial plantations. French is the official language on Martinique, English on the other islands. Most of the people also speak a French dialect.
Columbus discovered the Windward Islands during 1493–1502. The French settled Martinique in 1635. Possession of the other islands was contested by Britain and France until they were granted to the British by treaties in 1783 and 1814. Martinique became an overseas department of France in 1946. St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Grenada were British colonies until the late 1960's, when they were made self-governing states in association with Britain. Grenada became independent in 1974, Dominica in 1978, and St. Lucia and St. Vincent (together with the Grenadines) in 1979.
