This article is about the Society Islands in French Polynesia. ; For the western Caribbean island group see Leeward Islands. ; The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are also sometimes called the Leeward Islands.

The Leeward Islands (French: Îles Sous-le-Vent) are part of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. The archipelago comprises an administrative division (French: subdivision administrative) of French Polynesia.

The archipelago was discovered by James Cook on the 12th of April 1769 during the British expedition to observe the transit of Venus. On this first voyage (he subsequently revisited the islands twice) he named the Leeward group of islands Society in honor of the Royal Society. The islands became a French protectorate in 1843 and a colony in 1880.

The islands are mountainous, and are good examples of volcanic rock. They are formed of trachyte, dolerite and basalt. There are raised coral beds high up the mountains, and lava occurs in a variety of forms, even in solid flows. All active volcanic agency has so long ceased that the craters have been almost entirely obliterated by erosion.

Flora includes breadfruit, pandanus, and coconut palms. The limited terrestrial fauna includes feral pigs, rats, and small lizards. There are several species of freshwater fish inhabiting the small streams on the islands, but the fringing coral reefs around the islands exhibit a dazzling array of fish and other salt water-dwelling species. The major products are copra, sugar, rum, mother-of-pearl, and vanilla. Tourism is extremely important to the economy.

Administratively, the Leeward Islands form the administrative subdivion of the Leeward Islands (la subdivision administrative des Îles Sous-le-Vent), one of French Polynesia's five administrative subdivisions (subdivision administratives). Geographically, the administrative subdivision of the Leeward Islands (la subdivision administrative des Îles Sous-le-Vent) is identical with the electoral circumscription of the Leeward Islands (circonscription des Îles Sous-le-Vent), one of French Polynesia's 6 electoral districts/circumscriptions (circonsriptions électorales) for the Assembly of French Polynesia (see also Politics of French Polynesia).

The islands include:

• Raiatea (largest island of the group)
• Huahine which at high tide is divided into two islands, Huahine Nui ("big Huahine") to the north and Huahine Iti ("small Huahine") to the south
• Tahaa
• Bora Bora
• Tupai
• Maupiti
• Manuae (aka Scilly Atoll)
• Mopelia (aka Maupihaa)
• Motu One (aka Bellinghausen)

External links

• Satellite image

References

Society Islands | Archipelagoes

Illes de Sotavent (de la Societat) | Tuulealused saared (Okeaania) | Îles sous le Vent | Wyspy Podwietrzne (Polinezja)