The United States Department of State is a part of the US government that deals with foreign countries. It is often called the State Department. People who work in this department give the president advice about how to deal with other countries.
Some of the people in the State Department are known as diplomats. They travel to other countries or live in other countries in order to help work on things that are important to the US and those countries. Diplomats help make agreements between countries. The State Department also represents the United States at the United Nations.
(Source: United States Department of State, via Wikimedia Commons.)
The State Department was created in 1789 when George Washington was president. It was the first department in the president’s Cabinet. The Cabinet is a group of people who give the president advice. The leader of the State Department is called the Secretary of State. The president picks the person who will be the Secretary of State, but the Senate must approve the president’s choice.