LOCATION - Martinique, 89 by 35 kilometers (55 by 22 miles), covers 1,100 square kilometers (425 square miles). Of its neighboring islands, Dominica lies to the north and St. Lucia to the south; Miami is 2,370 kilometers (1,470 miles) away. There are about 369,000 people on Martinique.

ACCOMMODATIONS - Resorts, hotels and bed & breakfasts.

CALLING MARTINIQUE - Martinique's country code is 596.

COMMUNICATION - Telephone: IDD is available. There are both payphones and card phones on the island. Télécartes (phonecards) are sold at post offices, news agents and kiosks. There are only card phones at the airport. Fax: Available in most hotels. Post: Letters take about a week to reach

CREDIT CARDS - Hotels, larger restaurants and car rental agencies accept Visa (Carte Bleue) and MasterCard (Eurocard).

CURRENCY - U.S. $1.00 equals approximately 5.5 French Francs - FF. CAN $1.00 equals approximately 4.5 French Francs - FF. Drinking Water - The water is safe to drink throughout the island, but there is also locally produced bottled mineral water available.

ELECTRICITY - Alternating current is 220 volts, 50 Hz. Outlets take the two-round European-style pins.

TIME - Martinique is in the Atlantic Time zone. This means Martinique's capital of Fort-de-France is 1 hour ahead of New York and Montréal, 5 hours behind Frankfurt and Paris, 13 hours behind Tokyo, and 14 hours behind Sydney.

WHAT TO WEAR - On this island where summer never ends, you will need to wear light casual clothes for excursions, a bathing suit, shorts and sandals for the beach. The women usually dress up a little more than the men in the evenings, and a jacket and tie are rarely required except at certain restaurants and casinos. Finally, do not forget to bring a sweater and sunglasses.