San Juan Islands

American  

[san wahn ahy-luhndz, hwahn] / ˈsæn ˈwɑn ˈaɪ ləndz, ˈʰwɑn /

plural noun

1. a group of islands in Washington State that lie between the northwest coast of Washington and the southernmost part of Canada’s Vancouver Island.

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San Juan Islands British  

/ sæn ˈwɑːn, ˈhwɑːn /

plural noun

1. a group of islands between NW Washington, US, and SE Vancouver Island, Canada: administratively part of Washington

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Etymology

Origin of San Juan Islands

First recorded in 1865–70; originally named Isla y Archiepelago de San Juan (“Island and Archipelago of St. John”) in 1791 by Francisco de Eliza y Reventa (1759–1825), Spanish naval officer, navigator, and explorer