Read detailed reports on diplomatic living conditions in posts around the world from Chile to Cambodia.
Ambassador
Chief of a diplomatic mission abroad.
Embassy
Official residence of the ambassador.
Chancery
Office where a chief of mission and his staff work.
Consulate
Diplomatic mission in a city other than the capital.
Diplomatic Immunity
Exemption of foreign diplomatic agents from local jurisdiction.
High Commission
Diplomatic mission of one Commonwealth country in another.
Visa
Written authority to enter another country.
A statue of World War II General and former President Dwight D. Eisenhower
welcomes visitors to the U.S. Embassy – London, United Kingdom.
United States
Embassy, London
In its early history, Britain was subjected to many
invasions and migrations from Scandinavia and the Continent. The Romans
occupied Britain for several centuries. The Normans, the last of a long
succession of invaders, conquered England in 1066.
Under the Normans,
pre-Celtic, Celtic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon and Norse influences blended
into the Briton of today. In addition to the ethnic groups indigenous to the
British Isles, immigration in the past few decades has added large numbers
of Africans, Europeans, and South Asians to the British
population. London, the capital,
is one of the largest cities in Europe and a center of international
commerce, education and the arts.
The London diplomatic corps consists of about 2,000 members and the consular
corps has some 125. Each November, the Queen hosts a formal evening
reception at Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle for Heads of Mission and
diplomatic staff.
