Windward Islands Bovenwindse Eilanden (Dutch) | |
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| Geography | |
| Location | Leeward Islands Lesser Antilles Caribbean Sea |
| Coordinates | 18°01′00″N63°02′00″W / 18.0167°N 63.0333°W /18.0167; -63.0333 |
| Total islands | 3 |
| Major islands | Saba Saint Martin Sint Eustatius |
| Demographics | |
| Population | ~85.000 (2025 estimate) |
| Languages | |
TheSSS islands (Dutch:SSS-eilanden), locally also known as theDutch Windward Islands (Bovenwindse Eilanden orBovenwinden), is a collective term for the three territories of theDutch Caribbean (formerly theNetherlands Antilles) that are located within theLeeward Islands group of theLesser Antilles in theCaribbean Sea.[1][2][3] In order of population size, they are:Sint Maarten,Sint Eustatius, andSaba. In some contexts, the term is also used to refer to the entire island ofSaint Martin (which also includes theCollectivity of Saint Martin), alongside Sint Eustatius and Saba.
The SSS islands wereisland territories of the Netherlands Antilles, untilits dissolution in 2010. Since then, Sint Maarten is aconstituent country of theKingdom of the Netherlands, while Sint Eustatius and Saba arespecial municipalities of theNetherlands. "SSS" is anacronym of the islands' names, and is analogous to theABC,CAS, andBES islands, which are other commonly used subdivisions of the Dutch Caribbean.
The island ofSaint Martin was split betweenFrance and theNetherlands in 1648.[4] The Dutch part, together with Sint Eustatius and Saba, became a single Dutch colony in 1815 asSint Eustatius and Dependencies (Sint Eustatius en Onderhorigheden).[5] In 1828, this colony was merged with the coloniesCuraçao and Dependencies (the ABC islands) andSurinam, withParamaribo as its capital.[6] When this merger was partly reversed in 1845, the Dutch part of the SSS islands became part of Curaçao and Dependencies, withWillemstad as its capital.[7] This colony became theNetherlands Antilles in 1954.
As part of the Netherlands Antilles, the SSS islands initially formed a singleisland territory (eilandgebied) as theWindward Islands.[8] In 1983, it was split up into three separate island territories, each with a separateisland council.[8] After the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles on 10 October 2010, Sint Eustatius and Saba becamespecial municipalities of the Netherlands, while Sint Maarten became an independent country within theKingdom of the Netherlands.[9]
| Flag | Territory | Political status | Capital | Area | Population (Jan 2019) | Population density |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Saba | Special municipality of theNetherlands | The Bottom | 13 km2 (5.0 sq mi) | 1,915 | 148/km2 (380/sq mi) |
 | Sint Eustatius | Special municipality of theNetherlands | Oranjestad | 21 km2 (8.1 sq mi) | 3,138 | 150/km2 (390/sq mi) |
 | Sint Maarten | Constituent country of theKingdom of the Netherlands | Philipsburg | 34 km2 (13 sq mi) | 41,486 | 1,221/km2 (3,160/sq mi) |
| Total | 68 km2 (26 sq mi) | 46,539 | 684/km2 (1,770/sq mi) | |||
| Map | Island | Country | Largest town | Area | Population (Jan 2019) | Population density |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Saba |  Netherlands | The Bottom | 13 km2 (5.0 sq mi) | 1,915 | 148/km2 (380/sq mi) |
 | Saint Martin |  France (north)Sint Maarten (south) | Lower Prince's Quarter | 87 km2 (34 sq mi) | 73,666 | 847/km2 (2,190/sq mi) |
 | Sint Eustatius | Netherlands | Oranjestad | 21 km2 (8.1 sq mi) | 3,138 | 150/km2 (390/sq mi) |
| Total | 121 km2 (47 sq mi) | 78,719 | 651/km2 (1,690/sq mi) | |||
The islands that are situated in the Leeward Islands are Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten. These islands are collectively referred to as the "SSS Islands"
With reference to the Netherlands Antilles, 'Windward Islands' (Bovenwindse Eilanden) means the north-eastern islands of Sint Maarten, Saba and Sint Eustatius, as opposed to the south-western islands of Aruba (which seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986), Bonaire and Curaçao. Note that, confusingly, the Dutch 'Windward Islands' are considered to be part of the Leeward Island group, not the Windward Island group, in British English usage.
Together with Saba and St. Eustatius, St. Maarten forms a cluster referred to as the Dutch Windward Islands (or "SSS" islands).
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