US Virgin Islands Facts
Population:
St Thomas 54,000
Capital city:
Charlotte Amalie
People:
African descent (75%), US mainland expatriates (13%), Puerto Rican (5%),
Danish, French
Language:
English, plus some Creole, Spanish and French
Religion:
Baptist (42%), Catholic (42%), Episcopalian (17%)
Government:
Unincorporated territory of the US
Major industries:
Tourism, oil refining
Major trading partners:
USA, Puerto Rico
Time Zone:
Atlantic Time Zone. Daylight saving time not observed. Otherwise, it
is the same as Eastern Standard Time.
Average Temperatures (In Fahrenheit):
High Low
January - March 86F 67F
April - June 89F 70F
July - September 90F 73F
October - December 88F 69F
Health risks:
Sunburn: Be sure to apply sunblock or sunscreen often.
Electricity:
110-120V, 60Hz US appliances will work with no adapter.
Weights & measures:
Imperial
Telephones:
From North America, dial 1 + 340 + the seven-digit local number. Elsewhere,
dial your country's international direct dialing prefix + 1 + 340 +
the seven-digit local number.
When to Go:
The peak tourist season is between December and April, but this has
more to do with the weather in North America and Europe than it does
with the reliably balmy Virgin Islands' weather. It's therefore best
to visit outside this period, when you can expect room rates to be almost
half those charged during the busier months. An additional draw is that
the calmer weather between April and August tends to keep the waters
clearer for diving.
Public Holidays:
1 January - New Year's Day
Third Monday in January - Martin Luther King Jr Day
Third Monday in February - Presidents' Day
Late March or April - Easter
Last Monday in May - Memorial Day
3 July - Emancipation Day
4 July - Independence Day
First Monday in September - Labor Day
Second Monday in October - Columbus Day, Virgin Islands Friendship Day
11 November - Veterans' Day
Fourth Thursday in November - Thanksgiving
25 December - Christmas Day
26 December - Boxing Day
Currency:
US dollar (US$)
Banks:
Several major U.S. banks are represented on St. Thomas. Hours vary,
but most are open Monday through Thursday from 9am to 2:30pm, Friday
from 9am to 2pm, and 3:30 to 5pm.
Business Hours:
Typical business and store hours are Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm,
Saturday 9am to 1pm. Some shops open Sunday for cruise-ship arrivals.
Bars are usually open daily from 11am to midnight or 1am, although some
hot spots stay open later.
Dentist:
The Virgin Island Dental Association ( 340/775-9110) is a member of
the American Dental Association and is also linked with various specialists.
Call for information or an appointment.
Doctor:
Doctors-on-Duty, Vitraco Park ( 340/776-7966) in Charlotte Amalie, is
a reliable medical facility.
Drugstores:
For over-the-counter and prescription medications, go to Drug Farm,
2-4 9th St. 340/776-7098, or Havensight Pharmacy, Havensight Mall, Building
#4 340/776-1235).
Electricity:
110 to 115 volts, 60 cycles, as on the U.S. mainland.
Emergencies:
Police, 911; ambulance, 922; fire, 921.
Hospitals:
The St. Thomas Hospital is at 48 Sugar Estate ( 340/776-8311), Charlotte
Amalie.
Hotlines:
Call the police at 911 in case of emergency. If you have or witness
a boating mishap, call the U.S. Coast Guard Rescue ( 787/729-6800, ext.
140), which operates out of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Scuba divers should
note the number of a decompression chamber ( 340/776-8311) at the Roy
Schneider Community Hospital on St. Thomas.
Laundry and Dry Cleaning:
The major hotels provide laundry service, but it's more expensive than
a laundromat. For dry cleaning go to One-Hour Martinizing, Barbel Plaza
( 340/774-5452), in Charlotte Amalie. A good full-service Laundromat
is 4-Star Laundromat, 68 Kronprindsens Gade ( 340/774-8689), in Charlotte
Amalie.
Liquor Laws:
Persons must be at least 21 years of age to patronize bars or purchase
liquor in St. Thomas.
Newspapers and Magazines:
Copies of U.S. mainland newspapers, such as The New York Times, USA
Today, and The Miami Herald, arrive daily in St. Thomas and are sold
at hotels and newsstands. The latest copies of Time and Newsweek are
also for sale. St. Thomas Daily News covers local, national, and international
events. Virgin Islands Playground and St. Thomas This Week, both of
which are packed with visitor information, are distributed free all
over the island.
Post Office:
The main post office is at 9846 Estate Thomas ( 340/774-1950), Charlotte
Amalie, open Monday through Friday from 7:30am to 5:30pm and Saturday
from 7:30am to 2:30pm.
Rest Rooms:
You'll find public toilets at beaches and at the airport, but they are
limited in town. Most visitors use the facilities of a bar or restaurant.
Telephone, Telex, and Fax:
All island phone numbers have seven digits. It is not necessary to use
the 340 area code when dialing within St. Thomas. Numbers for all three
islands, including St. John and St. Croix, are found in the U.S. Virgin
Islands phone book. Hotels will send faxes and telexes for you, usually
for a small service charge. Make long distance, international, and collect
calls as you would on the U.S. mainland.
Transit Information:
Call 340/774-7457 to order a taxi 24 hours a day. Call 340/774-5100
for airport information and 340/776-6282 for information about ferry
departures for St. John.
Weather:
For weather reports, call Vietema at 340/774-2244.
Arriving By Plane:
If you're flying to St. Thomas, you will land at the Cyril E. King Airport
340/774-5100, to the west of Charlotte Amalie on Route 30. From here,
you can easily find a taxi to your hotel or villa. Chances are you will
be staying east of Charlotte Amalie, so keep in mind that getting through
town often involves long delays and traffic jams.
Nonstop flights to the U.S. Virgin Islands from New York and Atlanta take 3 3/4 and 3 1/2 hours, respectively. Flight time from Miami is about 2 1/2 hours.
Getting Around By Car:
Driving Rules
Always drive on the left. The speed limit is 20 m.p.h. in town, 35 m.p.h.
outside town. Take extra caution when driving in St. Thomas, especially
at night. Many roads are narrow, curvy, and poorly lit.
Renting A Car
There is no tax on car rentals in the Virgin Islands.
Warning
St. Thomas has a high accident rate. Visitors are not used to driving
on the left, the hilly terrain shelters blind curves and entrance ramps,
roads are narrow and poorly lit, and drivers often get behind the wheel
after too many drinks. To be on the safe
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