Embassies of Washington

The Honorary Consulate of the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands*

Address: 2121 R Street NW
Embassy Address: 2000 L Street NW, Suite 407
George W. Bush, Head of State
Benigno R. Fitial, Governor
Unknown, Ambassador
Geographical Location: South Pacific
Capital: Saipan
Population: 84,546
Primary Industries: Agriculture, bauxite mining, gold mining, timber, shrimp fishing, minerals, and sugar.

* The Northern Mariana Islands, along with Guam to the south, are in political union with the United States. As such, they are a territory/portectorate of the U.S. which means they have a non-voting representative in the U.S. House of Representative.

The Embassy of Grenada

Address: 1701 New Hampshire Avenue NW
Elizabeth II, Queen
Sir Daniel Williams, Governor General
Keith Mitchell, Prime Minister
Denis G. Antoine, Ambassador
Geographical Location: The Caribbean
Capital: St. George's
Population: 110,000
Primary Industries: Spices (cinnamon, cloves, ginger, mace, allspice, orange/citrus peels, wild coffee, and nutmeg), tourism, and eco-tourism.

The Embassy of the Republic of Nicaragua

Address: 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW
Arturo Cruz, Jr., Ambassador
Geographical Location: Central America
Capital: Managua
Population: 5.6 million
Primary Industries: Agriculture (bananas, coffee, sugar, beef, and tobacco), rum, and tourism (including eco- and agri-tourism.)

The Embassy of the State of Eritrea

Address: 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW
Embassy Address: 2000 L Street NW, Suite 407
Isaias Afewerki, President
Ghirmai Ghebremariam, Ambassador
Geographical Location: East Africa
Capital: Asmara
Population: 4.4 million
Primary Industries: Subsistence agriculture and fishing, mining, and tourism.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 4/08

Embassies of Washington

The Embassy of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana

Embassy Location: 2490 Tracy Place NW
Bharrat Jagdeo, President
Sam Hinds, Prime Minister
Bayney Karran, Ambassador
Geographical Location: South America
Capital: Georgetown
Population: 751,000
Primary Industries: Agriculture, bauxite mining, gold mining, timber, shrimp fishing, minerals, and sugar.

Note: Jonestown, Guyana was the site in 1978 of the mass suicide of the People's Temple cult led by the Rev. Jim Jones.

The Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia

Embassy Location: 2410 California Street NW
Danilo Turk, President
Janez Jansa, Prime Minister
Samuel Žbogar, Ambassador
Geographical Location: Europe
Capital: Ljubljana
Population: 2.02 million
Primary Industries: Banking, telecommunications, and public utilities.

The Embassy of the Republic of El Salvador

Embassy Location: 2308 California Street NW
Antonio Saca, President
Rene Antonio León Rodríguez, Ambassador
Geographical Location: Central America
Capital: San Salvador
Population: 6.6 million
Primary Industries: Coffee, indigo, and tourism

The Embassy of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire

Embassy Location: 2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Lauren Gbagbo, President
Guillaume Soro, Prime Minister
Yao Charles Koffi, Ambassador
Geographical Location: West Africa
Capital: Abidjan
Population: 18.01 million
Primary Industries: Coffee and cocoa


Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 5/08

Embassies of Washington

The Embassy of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria

Embassy Location: 2118 Kalorama Road NW
Abdelaziz Bouteflika, President
Abdelaziz Belhadem, Prime Minister
Amine Kherbi, Ambassador
Geographical Location: North Africa
Capital: Algiers
Population: 33.3 million
Primary Industries: Petroleum and natural gas reserves, agriculture (cotton, dwarf palm, olives, tobacco, and cereal grains)

The Embassy of the Republic of Macedonia

Embassy Location: 2129 Wyoming Avenue NW
Branko Crvenkovski, President
Nikola Gruevski, Prime Minister
Zoran Jolevski, Ambassador
Geographical Location: Europe
Capital: Skopje
Population: 2.03 million
Primary Industries: Oil, marble, textiles, baked goods, agriculture (early produce)

The Embassy of the Republic of Senegal

Embassy Location: 2112 Wyoming Avenue NW
Abdoulaye Wade, President
Cheikh Hadjibou Soumare, Prime Minister
Dr. Amadou Lamine BA, Ambassador
Geographical Location: West Africa
Capital: Dakar
Population: 11.6 million
Primary Industries: Food processing, mining, cement, fertilizer, chemicals, textiles, petroleum refinement, tourism, fishing, agriculture (cotton and groundnuts), and calcium phosphate

The Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman

Embassy Location: 2535 Belmont Road NW
Qaboos bin Said Al-Said, Sultan
Hunaina Sultan Al-Mughairy, Ambassador
Geographical Location: Middle East
Capital: Muscat
Population: 3.2 million
Primary Industries: Oil, natural gas, and tourism

Embassies of Washington

The Embassy of the Principality of Monaco

Embassy Location: 2314 Wyoming Avenue NW
Prince Albert II, The Sovereign Prince of Monaco
Jean-Paul Proust, Minister of State
Gilles Noghès, Ambassador
Geographical Location: Europe
Capital: Monaco
Population: 32,671
Primary Industries: Tourism.

The Embassy of the Syrian Arab Republic

Embassy Location: 2215 Wyoming Avenue NW
Bashar al-Assad, President
Muhammad Naji al-Otari, Prime Minister
Imad Moustapha, Ambassador
Geographical Location: Middle East
Capital: Damascus
Population: 19.4 million
Primary Industries: Agriculture, oil, industry, and tourism.

The Embassy of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

Embassy Location: 2148 Wyoming Avenue NW
Mahinda Rajapaksa, President
Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, Prime Minister
Bernard Goonetilleke, Ambassador
Geographical Location: Asia
Capital: Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte
Population: 19.66 million
Primary Industries: Cinnamon, rubber, tea, food processing, textiles, telecommunications, and finance.

The Embassy of Barbados

Embassy Location: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW
Elizabeth II, Monarch
Clifford Husbands, Governor General
David Thompson, Prime Minister
Michael Ian King, Ambassador
Geographical Location: Caribbean
Capital: Bridgetown
Population: 279,000
Primary Industries: Sugarcane and allied industries, tourism, and manufacturing.

Embassies of Washington

The Embassy of the People's Republic of China

Embassy Location: 2300 Connecticut Avenue NW*
Hu Jintao, President
Wen Jiabao, Premier
Zhou Wenzhong, Ambassador
Geographical Location: Asia
Capital: Beijing
Population: 1.32 billion
Primary Industries: Agriculture, hydroelectricity, software piracy, numerous low-quality goods as exports

* This is its current location, however, the government of the People's Republic of China has been constructing an enormous new embassy on International Court NW. Construction should be completed in a few months.

Supporters of Tibet protest China's policies in a park across from the embassy

On the day I photographed the Chinese Embassy, supporters of Tibet were protesting in the little park across from the embassy. This was on the day the Olympic torch was making its appearance in San Francisco.

The Embassy of the Republic of Benin

Embassy Location: 2124 Kalorama Road NW
Yayi Boni, President
Cyrille S. Oguin, Ambassador
Geographical Location: Africa
Capital: Porto Novo
Population: 8.43 million
Primary Industries: Subsistence agriculture, cotton production, tourism, food processing and agriculture, and telecommunications

The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia

Embassy Location: 2134 Kalorama Road NW
Boris Tadić, President
Vojislav Koštunica, Prime Minister
Dr. Ivan Vujacic, Ambassador
Geographical Location: Europe
Capital: Belgrade
Population: 8.02 million
Primary Industries: Agriculture (raspberries and leading frozen fruit exporter), transportation, and tourism.

The Embassy of the Republic of Yemen

Embassy Location: 2319 Wyoming Avenue NW
Ali Abdullah Saleh, President
Ali Mohammed Mujawar, Prime Minister
Abdulwahab Abdulla Al-Hajjri, Ambassador
Geographical Location: Middle East
Capital: Sana'a
Population: 22.23 million
Primary Industries: Oil and natural gas, seaborne trade, and tourism.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 4/08

Embassies of Washington

This first embassy is a shout out to Lara, an Austrian expat living in Romania, and the bloggers of Vienna Daily Photo. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, I lived in Austria for nearly 20 months. I fell head-over-heels in love with it and if I could find a job there, I'd move back. It's one of the most beautiful and oft-overlooked countries in Europe!

The Embassy of the Republic of Austria

Embassy Location: 3524 International Place NW
Heinz Fischer, President
Alfred Gusenbauer, Chancellor
Eva Nowotny, Ambassador
Geographical Location: Europe
Capital: Vienna
Population: 8.31 million
Primary Industries: Agriculture, wine, chemicals, iron and steel, oil, law and banking, and tourism

Residence of the Ambassador of the Republic of Austria

The Austrian Embassy is located off of Connecticut Avenue on International Court. The ambassador's residence is at 2419 Wyoming Avenue NW, which is actually closer to Massachusetts Avenue and Embassy Row. This quiet Kalorama neighborhood is home to several smaller embassies and many diplomatic residences.

This past Saturday was the opening of the annual Passport DC event, where embassies open their doors to the public and let visitors see inside. I'd forgotten about it until a friend called and asked if I wanted to go. The weekend's hosts were the EU nations. Unfortunately, we arrived at the Embassy of Austria, (which is not conveniently located on Embassy Row!) just as they were closing. Despite my harried pleadings in my rusty German, they wouldn't relent and let us in. (Actually, that's not entirely true. The older diplomat at the door was going to let us in when I mentioned I'd lived in Vienna, but his younger colleague was having none of it. I think the younger guy thought I meant I'd lived in Vienna, Virginia. Oh well.) Servus in Österreich!

The Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt

Embassy Location: 3521 International Court NW
Hosni Mubarak, President
Ahmed Nazif, Prime Minister
Nabil Fahmy, Ambassador
Geographical Location: Middle East
Capital: Cairo
Population: 80.3 million
Primary Industries: Agriculture, media, petroleum exports, and tourism

The Embassy of the Slovak Republic

Embassy Location: 3523 International Court NW
Ivan Gašparovič, President
Robert Fico, Prime Minister
Rastislav Kacer, Ambassador
Geographical Location: Europe
Capital: Bratislava
Population: 5.44 million
Primary Industries: Tourism, automotive, chemical, defense, electronics, garments, and glass and crystal

The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates *

Embassy Location: 3522 International Court NW
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister
Saqr Ghobash, Ambassador
Geographical Location: Middle East
Capital: Abu Dhabi
Population: 4.49 million
Primary Industries: Petroleum, natural gas, tourism

* This has to be one of the most beautiful embassies in Washington. If you get a chance, go to International Court near the campus of the University of the District of Columbia and have a look. (Metro stop: Van Ness/UDC)

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 4/08

Art on Call

Houses of Worship, painting by Mohamed Zakariya
Belmont Road & Tracy Place NW

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, call boxes for police and fire were a common site throughout Washington. The precursor to today's 911 Emergency call system, call boxes were the means citizens used to summon police and fire services. Today, these boxes have been restored and are part of a city project known as Art on Call.

L: The Presidents, (Wyoming Avenue & 23rd Street NW)
R: The Lindens, (Kalorama Road & 24th Street NW), both by Peter Waddell

To date, call boxes in Kalorama and DuPont Circle have been fitted with art, as have boxes in the neighborhoods of Tenleytown, Woodley Park, and Mount Pleasant. These are just six of the 16 Art on Call boxes you can see in Kalorama. (To see larger photos, click on the images to enlarge.)

Left: Women of Influence (Kalorama Road & Tracy Place NW) by Peter Waddell
Center: Architects and Architecture (Wyoming Avenue & Connecticut Avenue NW), Supon Creative
Right: Unknown, meaning, I forgot to write down the artist and title...

To see examples of Art on Call boxes by Michael Ross, click here.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 4/08

Two Things Challenge: A / Z

The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

A is for Afghanistan. The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

Embassy Location: 2341 Wyoming Avenue NW
Hamid Karzai, President
Said T. Jawad, Ambassador
Geographical Location: Central Asia
Capital: Kabul
Population: 31.8 million people
Primary Industries: Agriculture, opium production, natural gas

The Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe

Z is for Zimbabwe. The Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe

Location: 1608 New Hampshire Avenue NW
His Excellency Robert Mugabe, President
His Excellency Machivenyika Ampuranga, Ambassador
Geographical Location: Africa
Capital: Harare
Population: 13 million people
Primary Industries: Gems and precious metals, solar energy, motor components production, leather production, and forestry and wood products

Zimbabwean art in front of the embassy (click to enlarge images)

*****

This entry commences a new series I'll be doing on embassies, chanceries, consulates, and diplomatic residences in Washington, D.C. In this city alone, 174 of 183 countries have diplomatic missions with embassies and ambassadors. Another eight nations--mostly islands in the Pacific--have embassy offices in New York City and one country has its embassy in Rockville, Maryland.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 4/08

Slice

Samples of Wiener Werkstätte fabrics, courtesy of the Textile Museum

Today, I got together with my friend and sister Scary Feminist, Tickle the Pear. She invited me to the Textile Museum to see "Textiles of Klimt's Vienna"--an exhibit of Secessionstil and Wiener Werkstätte fabrics from the early 1900s. The exhibit itself was rather small, but did an excellent job of explaining a period in Viennese art and culture that goes beyond just simple art deco. At one point, I wondered whether Frank Lloyd Wright had been inspired by Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Maria Likarz-Strauss, and Dagobert Peche as some of the designs and patterns from the era closely echo Lloyd Wright motifs.

The Textile Museum, 2320 S Street NW

The museum is housed in what was once the home of George Hewitt Myers, a collector of textiles and the founder of the museum. Before we went to see the Klimt exhibit, we sat in on a lecture about Turkmen rugs and bags. Tickle and I were the the youngest people in the room and we're not exactly spring chicks! Still, the information was interesting, but the room was too hot, so we ducked out early.

Washington's version of the Spanish Steps, which originally led to the entrance of a mansion.

After the museum, we walked down the Spanish Steps. There's not a lot of helpful information about the steps, except that they once led to a mansion in the Kalorama neighborhood. Now, they sit at the top of a cul-de-sac and, when you reach the top of the steps, to the right is the Ambassador of China's residence. The steps are not that far from Embassy Row (Massachusetts Avenue NW) and numerous embassies, chancelleries, and consulates are scattered throughout the neighborhood.

Art on Call:
call boxes that have been restored and feature art from local and national artists. These ones are located at the corner of Decatur and 22nd Streets NW, just below the Spanish Steps.

Following the steps down, we found ourselves on Decatur and encountered part of the "Art on Call" project that can be seen throughout the city. In the 1860s, call boxes were scattered throughout D.C. and were used to summon police and firefighters. They constituted the 911-system of that period, if you will. Despite their obsolescence, they remain on many street corners. "Art on Call" is a project to highlight these boxes and make them into art pieces. These are just two examples.

Urban renewal in the historic Shaw neighborhood. Someone gets creative!

Having wandered through parts of Kalorama and DuPont Circle, we then grabbed a burger at Fuddruckers, after which I took Tickle home. On our way to her place, we passed this recently painted house in the historic Shaw neighborhood. Given how hot and humid it was today, it seemed like a nice wrap-up to a lovely afternoon with a friend!

P.S. Tickle: Looking forward to MoBob's Moroccan!

Zips: Textile Museum, Spanish Steps, and Call Box (20008)
Watermelon House Zip: 20009

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential (Janet M. Kincaid, 08/07)