The Antilles refers to the islands forming the greater part of the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea.
The Antilles are divided into two major groups: the "Greater Antilles" to the north including the larger islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), and Puerto Rico; and the smaller "Lesser Antilles" on the southeast, comprising the northerly Leeward Islands, the southeasterly Windward Islands.
Geographically, the Greater Antilles are generally considered part of the North American continent and are made up of continental rock, while the Lesser Antilles are mostly young volcanic or coral islands.