Final answer:
The Greater Antilles and the Lesser Antilles are the two groups of islands separating the Caribbean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean. The Greater Antilles includes Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico, while the Lesser Antilles extends from the Vir gin Islands to Grenada.
Step-by-step explanation:
The two groups of islands in the West Indies that separate the Caribbean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean are the Greater Antilles and the Lesser Antilles. The Greater Antilles comprises the larger islands such as Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (containing Haiti and the Dominican Republic), and Puerto Rico. On the other hand, the Lesser Antilles are a long arc of smaller islands stretching from the Vir gin Islands to Grenada. They are located in the eastern and southern region of the Caribbean Sea. Both these groups of islands played significant roles during the colonial era, being colonized by various European countries including Spain, France, Britain, and the Netherlands.