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An '''ambassador''', rarely '''embassador''', is a diplomatic official accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an International_organization, to serve as the official representative of his or her own country. In everyday usage it applies to the ranking Plenipotentiary minister stationed in a foreign Capital. The host country typically allows the ambassador control of specific territory called an Embassy, whose territory, staff, and even vehicles are generally afforded Diplomatic_immunity from most Laws of the host country.
The senior diplomatic officers among members of the Commonwealth_of_Nations are known as High_Commissioners, who are the heads of High_Commissions. Representatives of the Holy_See are known as Papal or Apostolic Nuncios, while the head of a Libyan People's Bureau is a Secretary.
Historically, officials representing their countries abroad were termed ''ministers'', but this term was also applied to diplomats of the second rank. The Congress_of_Vienna of 1815 formalized the system of Diplomatic_rank under International_law:
''Ambassadors'' are ministers of the highest rank, with Plenipotentiary authority to represent their head of state. An ''Ordinary Ambassador'' is one heading a permanent diplomatic mission, for instance the senior professional diplomat in an embassy. An ''Extraordinary Ambassador'' could be appointed for special purposes or for an indefinite term; politically appointed ambassadors would fall under this category.
Moreover, a ''Resident Ambassador'' is one who resides within the country to which s/he is accredited. A ''Non-Resident Ambassador'' is one who does not reside within the country to which s/he is accredited, but lives in a nearby country. Thus a resident ambassador to a country might at the same time also be a non-resident ambassador to several other countries.
Among European powers, the ''ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary'' (French ''ambassadeur extraordinaire et plénipotentiaire'' or German ''ausserordentlicher und bevollmächtigter Botschafter'') was deemed the personal representative of the sovereign, and the custom of dispatching ambassadors to the head of state rather than the government has persisted. For example, ambassadors to and from the United_Kingdom are accredited to or from the Royal Court_of_St._James's, rather than to the State.
Because members of the Commonwealth_of_Nations have or had a common head of state, they do not exchange ambassadors, but instead have High_Commissioners which represent the government rather than the head of state.
Ranking below full ambassador are the rank of ''envoy'', ''minister resident'' and ''chargé d'affaires''. They represent their government rather than their head of state. For further details, see Diplomatic_rank.
== Lists of ambassadors ==
*List_of_High_Commissioners_and_Ambassadors_from_Australia
*Ambassadors_from_Israel
*Ambassadors_from_the_United_States
*List_of_Ambassadors_to_Canada
*List_of_Ambassadors_and_High_Commissioners_to_the_United_Kingdom
==See also==
* Diplomatic_rank
* Consulate_general
* High_Commissioner
* Nuncio
Category:Diplomacy
Category:Titles
Category:Government_occupations
Cs:Vyslanec
Da:Ambassadør
De:Botschafter
Eo:Ambasadoro
Fr:Ambassadeur
Id:Duta_Besar
He:שגריר
Lt:Ambasadorius
Nl:Ambassadeur
Ja:外交官
No:Ambassadør
Pl:Ambasador
Simple:Ambassador
Sl:Veleposlanik
Fi:Suurlähettiläs
Sv:Ambassadör
Zh:大使