Ambassador

An ambassador 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 government representative 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 in the host country. The senior diplomatic officers among members of the Commonwealth of Nations are known as High Commissioner, who are the heads of High Commission. Representatives of the Holy See are known as Papal or Apostolic Nuncio. 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... full article at wikipedia