Leeward Antilles

The Leeward Antilles, also known as the ABC Islands, are in the southern Caribbean, off the coast of Venezuela. All three islands are associated with the Netherlands, as part of the defunct entity The Netherlands Antilles.

While Aruba and Curaçao are constituent countries with high autonomy, Bonaire is an integrated municipality of the Netherlands.

Sint Eustatius and Saba are Dutch municipalities in the Leeward Islands (not the Leeward Antilles).

The ABC islands

• Aruba
• Curaçao
• Bonaire
• The Caribbean Islands of Venezuela are geographically part of the Leeward Antilles.

While Dutch is the administrative language of all three islands, English is widely spoken. Papiamento is a creole language, rooted in Portuguese and African languages.