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 island's 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 islands governed by the Netherlands (St. Eustatius, Saba, and Sint Maarten) and France (Guadeloupe). The many popular tourist resorts on these islands play a critical role in their economy, as do banking and fishing. There's a lot to discover about the Leeward Islands!