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An administrative consul is a type of powerful diplomat. Under certain historical circumstances, a major power's consular representation would take on various degrees of administrative roles, not unlike a colonial resident minister. This would often occur in territories without a formal state government (thus warranting a full diplomatic mission, such as an embassy).
When a state falls under the "amical" protection of a stronger (often colonial) power, the latter is usually represented by a high ranking diplomatic and/or gubernatorial officer, such as a Resident general, Resident Minister or High Commissioner. However, if there is no such representation (in modern terms often at ambassadorial level), the task may fall to the only available "diplomatic" alternative: consular representation.
In German Kamerun, 6 July 1884 – 26 June 1885, provisional consul Heinrich Randad filled the void between the first Reichskommissar (titled—for West Africa, 5–6 July 1884 only) and the subsequent series of regular incumbents
In parts of present Nigeria, British Consuls were in charge of the following West African protectorates:
From 7 November 1889, Samoa, previously a Polynesian kingdom, was governed by the joint German-British-U.S. Samoa Tripartite Convention, which made Samoa a protectorate of those three powers. On 10 June 1899, a provisional (colonial) government sui generis was formed, consisting of the consuls of the three protecting powers:
This arrangement lasted until 1 March 1900, when most of the archipelago was annexed by Imperial Germany. The eastern islands remained under U.S. control and became the territory of American Samoa.
On Tonga, a British protectorate from 1900, the British Empire was only represented by its consuls from 1901 until Tongan independence in 1970. From 1901 until 1952, the protectorate was also under the administrative authority of the High Commissioner of the British Western Pacific Territories, who was always the British Governor of Fiji.
Similar functions have been performed elsewhere by consular officers of other ranks: Consular Agent, Honorary Consul and Consul general.
Certain U.S. military personnel also have statutory authority to act as consuls for its military administration purposes,[1] more broadly for its military personnel and dependents,[2] and for its merchant seamen in a port lacking an accredited U.S. consul.[3]