The Canadian Consulate General in Dallas is one of the 13 Canadian Consulates General in the United States.  The Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. is responsible for our overall bilateral relationship with the United States.  The Consulates General are responsible for specific areas in the U.S. and report directly to the Canadian Government in Ottawa.  The Consulate General in Dallas covers five states in the U.S. Southwest:  Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.  These missions were originally established to assist Canadian exporters to develop markets in the United States and to provide consular assistance to Canadians in the U.S.  Over time, these interests have expanded to include among other things, liaison with state governments, explanation of Canadian policies, academic and cultural affairs, political and economic affairs, tourism promotion, investment and technology transfer, and the dissemination of information on Canada.