The term 'French West Indies' (''
Antilles françaises'') refers to the four territories presently under French sovereignty in the
Caribbean: the two overseas departments of
Guadeloupe and
Martinique, plus the two overseas collectivities of
Saint Martin and
Saint-Barthélemy. The Guadeloupe department includes both the island of Guadeloupe proper and the adjacent islands of
Les Saintes,
Marie-Galante and
La Désirade.
In addition, some of the islands of the present and former
British West Indies were once ruled by France. On some of them, a
French-based creole language is spoken.
Former French West Indian islands:
★
Hispaniola (the former French colony,
Saint-Domingue, was on the western third of the island -- now the country of
Haiti)
★
Dominica
★
Grenada
★
The Grenadines
★
Saint Croix
★
Saint Lucia
★
Saint Vincent
★
Tobago