Experimental investigations on the unsteady characteristics of the flow around a rectangular cylinder were carried out over a wide range of angle of attack and cavitation number. The width-to-height ratio d/h of the test cylinder is 2.8, which is called the critical value. Flow patterns have been observed by a highspeed camera and by pressure measurements. Notable features of various characteristics such as flow pattern, cavity length, periodic wake, surface pressure distribution, lift and drag are discussed.