235: State Dept.

 235: State Dept.

 235 years ago today (July 27, 1789) The US State Department was founded.

The State Department runs the 271 American Embassies, Consulates and Interest Sections in 171 Countries and Territories around the World and manages the 13,747 Employees of the US Foreign Service (along with 11,799 Civil Servants and 49,923 Local Employees.)

The first US Embassy was founded in 1790 in Liverpool, the United Kingdom (just 7 years after we gained our Independence from the British.) That was closed in 1962.

The US State Department worked hard during the American Civil War (1861-1865) to make sure no Country recognized the Confederate States and no Country ever did.

After winning World War 2 in 1945 and becoming a World Super Power the US State Department rapidly expanded across the globe in both Communist and Democratic Countries.

Here are some of the Countries with the most US Embassies or Consulates:

Canada: 8 US Embassies and Consulates.

Brazil: 9 US Embassies and Consulates.

Mexico: 19 US Embassies and Consulates.

China: 6 US Embassies and Consulates.

Japan: 6 US Embassies and Consulates.

France: 8 US Embassies and Consulates.

Germany: 6 US Embassies and Consulates.

Italy: 7 US Embassies and Consulates.

Spain: 7 US Embassies and Consulates.

The United Kingdom: 6 US Embassies and Consulates.

Besides running American Embassies, Consulates and Interest Sections around the World the State Department also issues Immigrant and Non-Immigrant (Student, Business and Tourist) American Visas to Foreigners.

The US State Department issued:

462,422 Immigrant Visas in 2019

8,742,068 Non-Immigrant Visas in 2019

This number doesn’t include the Citizens allowed into the US for 90 days as Non-Immigrants under the Visa Waiver Program (Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Chile, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland. Taiwan and the United Kingdom.)

This number also doesn’t include the Citizens of the Free Compact of Association who can live, work and travel to the US 365 days a year (the Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau.)

This number also doesn’t include the Citizens of Canada who can enter the US for 6 months.

Besides running American Embassies, Consulates and Interest Sections around the World the State Department also issues American Passports to American Citizens and Nationals.

Out of 335 Million Americans the State Department has issued 151 Million US Passports in 2020.