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Does anyone know if there is a difference between a consulate and an embassy? Or are they two words for the same thing?
I have a story where I prefer the sound of the word 'consulate', but I want to make sure I'm not misusing it. It is basically an office where a foreign power handles its affairs in the U.S.
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An embassy is considered the soil of the nation and government it represents and enjoys certain immunities and privileges as a result...a consulate is just an office of said nation or government and enjoys no such immunities.
An embassy is also where the ambassador has his office and / or residence.
You might consider a third possibility, a legation. Embassies are sometimes considered imperial in nature---for example, the United States established none until the 1890s, I think.
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Also, a consulate tends to be more geared towards helping it's own citizens with issues in that country, and can be part of an embassy. For example, when I lost my passport abroad, it was the US consulate that I went to to get a new one. They also deal with other minor things like obtaining visas, etc.
Embassies, on the other hand, are the representative of a country to the host countries government. They deal with the major issues, like human rights issues.
So I think you could say consulates are more for individual citizens, embassies are more for governments.
What you are describing sounds more like an embassy.
[This message has been edited by Osiris (edited December 17, 2010).]
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