LOCATION - Jamaica is the third largest of the Caribbean islands. Situated in the Caribbean Sea, it lies 965.4 km (600 miles) south of Florida, 160.9 km (100 miles) southwest of Haiti and 144.81 km (90 miles) south of Cuba.Population is 2,506,000.

ACCOMODATIONS - All-inclusive resorts, hotels, inns, apartments, and fully-staffed private villas.

CALLING JAMAICA - The international telephone access code is 876. There are no city codes. There are no city codes. To place an outgoing international call, dial 011 plus the appropriate city or country code.

COMMUNICATION - International cables and inland telegrams can be sent from most hotels and post offices. Direct international telephone service operates 24-hours a day. There are three daily newspapers and five weekend newspapers. E-mail, telex, fax, radio and local/cable/satellite TV are also available.

CREDIT CARDS - Credit cards are widely accepted. If you take traveler's checks, U.S. dollar checks are the easiest to exchange and use.

CURRENCY - The basic unit of currency is the Jamaican dollar (J$), which is divided into 100 cents. Notes are available in denominations of J$2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 500, coins in 1 cent, 5, 10, 25, and 50 cents and J$1. 1 US dollar = 39.88 JA dollars.

DRINKING WATER - Drinking water is generally safe in Jamaica; watch out, however, for contaminated water supplies in periods just after storms or hurricanes. In the event of a storm, stock up on bottled water.

ELECTRICITY - Current is 110 volts AC, 50 Hz, and flat, two-pin plugs are standard, although some hotels have 220 volts AC, 50 Hz, and three-pin plugs.

TIME - Jamaica is 5 hours behind Greenwich mean time (GMT). Jamaica does not observe daylight saving time.

WHAT TO WEAR - Lightweight tropical clothing is best suited throughout the year. On the beaches shorts and swimwear are acceptable. A light sweater is suggested for evening, especially in the winter months. Some hotels require casual evening wear for women and a jacket for men when dining.