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Visitor Information - page 2
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Passport and Visa |
Canadian citizens do not require passport to enter the United States. All other international visitors require valid passports, and, in some cases, visas.
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Currency, Credit Cards, Taxes |
Currency: 1 U.S. dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: US$1 = Canadian$ 1.40 (February 2000)
Credit cards: Major credit cards accepted.
Traveler checks: Most traveler checks cashed.
Taxes: Sales Tax: 4.5% - 5%
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Tipping
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Tips are generally given to restaurant waiters for their good services at a rate of 10-15%
may be expected at more expensive establishments. Tips are also given to taxi drivers, bartenders, hairdressers and
other services.
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Measurements
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The original British and U.S. system is still the U.S. standard measurement system.
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Metric Conversions
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Distance
Kilometers(km)/Miles(mi)
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Meters(m) /Feet(ft)
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km to mi
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mi to km
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m to ft
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ft to m
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1 = 0.62
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1 = 1.6
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1 = 3.3
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1 = .30
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50 = 31
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50 = 80
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80 = 49.6
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80 = 128
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90 = 55.8
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90 = 144
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Weight
Kilograms(kg)/Pounds(lb)
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Grams(g) /Ounces(oz)
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kg to lb
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lb to kg
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g to oz
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oz to g
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1 = 2.2
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1 = 0.45
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1 = 0.04
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1 = 28
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Liquid Volume
Liters(L)/U.S. Gallons(gal)
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L to gal
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gal to L
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1 = 0.26
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1 = 3.8
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Temperature
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Celsius(°C) to Fahrenheit(°F)
°C = (°F - 32) x 0.555
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Fahrenheit(°F) to Celsius(°C)
°F = (°C x 1.8) + 32
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°C
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°F
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°F
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°C
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-15
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5
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0
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-17.8
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-10
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14
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10
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-12.2
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-5
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23
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20
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-6.7
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0
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32
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30
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-1.1
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5
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41
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40
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4.4
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10
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50
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50
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10
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15
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59
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60
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15.5
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20
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68
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70
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21.1
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25
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77
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80
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26.7
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30
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86
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90
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32.2
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40
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104
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100
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37.8
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Electricity
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Electrical appliances in the United States use 110-volt, 60-cycle current. Overseas visitors will need to bring
adapters to convert their electrical appliances to the U.S. standard, otherwise these appliances cannot be used in the U.S.
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Driving
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U.S. Highway
Today there are more than 3,759,516 km (including 88,500 km of expressways) of surfaced roads and 2,501,638 km (1995 est.) of unpaved roads across the United States.
Drive on Right
In U.S. traffic drives on the right-hand side.
Driver's License
You must have a valid driver's license to drive a car in the United States. Your foreign driver's
license may be valid for a short time.
Check with a Motor Vehicle Branch or local police station before you drive a car.
Speed Limits in Miles
Speed limits vary and are sign-posted along roads and highways.
Most U.S. states require front-seat passengers to wear seat belts, and in all states children under 4 years old must ride in approved child-safety seats.
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Telephone
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Emergency Number:
Police, Fire, or Ambulance: 911
Operator Assistance: 0
International Calls:
To place a call to countries outside of North America or to Mexico, Dial:
011 + Country Code + Local Number
Telephones: - main lines in use: 178 million (U.S. total, 1999 estimate)
Telephones: - mobile cellular: 55.312 million (U.S. total 1997 estimate)
Telephone system: Excellent service provided by advanced technology in all U.S. States and cities.
Domestic : A large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and domestic satellites carries every form
of telephone traffic; a rapidly growing cellular system carries mobile telephone traffic throughout the country.
International: 24 ocean cable systems in use; satellite earth stations - 61 Intelsat (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16 Pacific Ocean), 5 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 4 Inmarsat (Pacific and Atlantic Ocean
regions) (2000 data).
Radio broadcast stations: AM about 5,000, FM about 5,000, shortwave 18 (U.S. total 1998 estimate)
Radios: 575 million (U.S. total 1997 estimate)
Television broadcast stations: more than 1,500 (U.S. total 1997 estimate)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): - 7,600 (U.S. total 1999 estimate)
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U.S. Diplomatic representation in Canada
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U.S. Embassy, 100 Wellington Street, Ottawa K1P 5T1
Mailing address: P. O. Box 866, Ogdensburg, NY 13669-0430
Phone : 1-613-238-5335, 4470
Fax: 1-613-238-5720
Consulates general: Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Toronto, and Vancouver.
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Canadian Diplomatic representation in the U.S.
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The Canadian Embassy, 501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 1-202-682-1740
Fax: 1-202-682-7726
Consulates general: Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis,
New York, and Seattle
Consulates: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Princeton, San
Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose.
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