Ambassadors of the United States

Updated on Dec 18, 2023

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This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to individual nations of the world, to international organizations, and to past nations, as well as ambassadors-at-large.

Ambassadors are nominated by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. An ambassador can be appointed during a recess, but he or she can only serve as ambassador until the end of the next session of Congress unless subsequently confirmed. Ambassadors serve "at the pleasure of the President", meaning they can be dismissed at any time.

An ambassador may be a career Foreign Service Officer or a political appointee. In most cases, career foreign service officers serve a tour of approximately three years per ambassadorship whereas political appointees customarily tender their resignations upon the inauguration of a new president. As embassies fall under the State Department's jurisdiction, ambassadors answer directly to the Secretary of State.

Ambassadors to international organizations

Current ambassadors from the United States to international organizations:

Ambassadors-at-Large

Current Ambassadors-at-Large from the United States with worldwide responsibility:

Other Chiefs of Mission

Senior diplomatic representatives of the United States hosted in posts other than embassies. Unlike other consulates, these persons report directly to the Secretary of State.

Special Envoys, Representatives and Coordinators

These diplomatic officials report directly to the Secretary of State. Many oversee a portfolio not restricted to one nation, often an overall goal, and are not usually subject to Senate confirmation.

Nations without exchange of ambassadors

Bhutan: According to the U.S. State Department, "The United States and the Kingdom of Bhutan have not established formal diplomatic relations; however, the two governments have informal and cordial relations". Informal contact with the nation of Bhutan is maintained through the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi.

Iran: On April 7, 1980, the United States broke diplomatic relations with Iran after the 1979 Iranian Revolution. On April 24, 1981, the Swiss government assumed representation of U.S. interests in Tehran, and Algeria assumed representation of Iranian interests in the United States. Currently, Iranian interests in the United States are represented by the government of Pakistan. The U.S. Department of State named Iran a "State Sponsor of Terrorism" on January 19, 1984.

North Korea: The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is not on friendly terms with the United States, and while talks between the two countries are ongoing, there is no exchange of ambassadors. Sweden functions as Protective Power for the United States in Pyongyang and performs limited consular responsibilities for U.S. citizens in North Korea.

Taiwan: With the normalization of relations with the People's Republic of China in 1979, the United States has not maintained official diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Relations between Taiwan and the United States are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office, with headquarters in Taipei and field offices in Washington, D.C., and twelve other U.S. cities. The Taipei Office of the American Institute in Taiwan, a non-profit, public corporation, functions as a de facto embassy, performing most consular functions and staffed by Foreign Service Officers who are formally "on leave."

Selected past ambassadors

Well-known past ambassadors from the United States:

Ambassadors killed in office

Eight United States Ambassadors have been killed in office – six of them by armed attack and the other two in plane crashes.

Ambassadors to past countries

Czechoslovakia

East Germany

Hawaii

North Yemen

South Vietnam

South Yemen

Texas

Yugoslavia

References

Ambassadors of the United States Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

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