The Country Code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs) represent two-letter Internet top-level domains (TLDs) specifically designed for a particular country, sovereign state or autonomous territory for use to service their community. ccTLDs are two-letter top-level domains which are derived from the ISO 3166 standard. [1]
Implementation
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The implementation of ccTLDs was started by IANA. The delegation and creation of ccTLDs is presented within RFC 1951. In order to determine whether new ccTLDs should be added or not, the IANA follows the provisions of ISO 3166 - Maintenance Agency. More information related to the development of new ccTLDs in comprised within IANA's Procedures for Establishing ccTLDs. [2]
IANA's Procedures for ccTLDs
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Within its database, IANA contains authoritative information related to ccTLDs, referring to sponsoring organizations, technical and administrative contacts, name servers, registration URLs and other such information. This type of information provides extra details regarding the IANA's procedures for maintaining the ccTLD database.
Delegation and Redelegation
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The process through which the designated manager, or managers, is changed is know as redelegation. The process follows the provisions of ICP-1 and RFC 1591. IANA receives all requests of a sponsoring organization related to delegation and redelegation for the ccTLDs. The requests are then analyzed by IANA based on various technical and public criterion, and finally sent to the ICANN Board of Directors for approval or refusal. If approved, IANA is also responsible for the implementation of the request.[3]
Conceptually speaking, the delegation and redelegation processes are simple, but can easily become complex if there are many organizations and individuals involved in the process. There is a set of steps which must be followed before sending the request for delegation or redelegation. An initial request should be developed based on The Change Request Template and supplementary information to prove that the eligibility criteria has been met by the initial request. All the information supplied is used by the IANA to fortify the request received.
ccTLDs and ICANN
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The policies developed by ICANN are implemented by gTLD registry operators, ccTLD managers, root-nameserver operators and regional Internet registries. One of the main activities of ICANN is to work with other organizations involved in the technical coordination of the Internet with the purpose of formally documenting their participatory role within the ICANN process. These organizations are committed to the ICANN policies that result from their work.[4]
Starting in 2000, ICANN started cooperating with ccTLD managers to document their relationship. Due to various circumstances such as: the type of organization, cultural issues, economics, the legal environment, etc., the relationships between ICANN and ccTLD mangers are often complex. Another consideration is the role of the national government in "managing or establishing policy for their own ccTLD" (role recognized in the June 1998, U.S. Government White Paper).
In 2009, ICANN began the implementation of an IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process,[5] whereby countries that use non-Latin script are able to claim ccTLDs in their native script and the corresponding Latin version. As of early 2011, 33 requests have been received, representing 22 languages.[6] More than half have already been approved.[7]
Current ccTLDs
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| ccTLD | Entity | Registry Operator | Notes |
| .ac | Ascension Island | AC Domain Registry | |
| .ad | Andorra | Andorra Telecom | |
| .ae | United Arab Emirates | Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA) | |
| .af | Afghanistan | Afghanistan Ministry of Communications and IT | |
| .ag | Antigua and Barbuda | UHSA School of Medicine | |
| .ai | Anguilla | Government of Anguilla | |
| .al | Albania | Albania Electronic and Postal Communications Authority (AKEP) | |
| .am | Armenia | ISOC Armenia | |
| .an | Antilles (Netherlands) | University of the Netherlands - Antilles | Being phased out |
| .ao | Angola | Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade Agostinho Neto | |
| .aq | Antarctica | Mott and Associates | |
| .ar | Argentina | MRECIC | |
| .as | American Samoa | AS Domain Registry | |
| .at | Austria | Nic.at | |
| .au | Australia | auDA | |
| .aw | Aruba | SETAR | |
| .ax | Aland Islands | Ålands landskapsregering | |
| .az | Azerbaijan | IntraDNS | |
| .ba | Bosnia and Herzegovina | UTIC | |
| .bb | Barbados | Government of Barbados Ministry of Economic Affairs and Development Telecommunications Unit | |
| .bd | Bangladesh | Ministry of Post & Telecommunications Bangladesh Secretariat | |
| .be | Belgium | DNS BE | |
| .bf | Burkina Faso | ARCE | |
| .bg | Bulgaria | Register.BG | |
| .bh | Bahrain | BATELCO | |
| .bi | Burundi | Centre National de l'Informatique | |
| .bj | Benin | Offices des Postes et Telecommunications | |
| .bl | Saint Barthelemy | Unassigned | |
| .bm | Bermuda | Registry General Ministry of Labour and Immigration | |
| .bn | Brunei Darussalam | Jabatan Telekom Brunei | |
| .bo | Bolivia | Agencia para el Desarrollo de la Información de la Sociedad en Bolivia | |
| .bq | Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba | Unassigned | |
| .br | Brazil | Comite Gestor da Internet no Brasil | |
| .bs | Bahamas | The College of the Bahamas | |
| .bt | Bhutan | Ministry of Information and Communications | |
| .bv | Bouvet Island | UNINETT Norid AS | |
| .bw | Botswana | University of Botswana | |
| .by | Belarus | Open Contact Ltd. | |
| .bz | Belize | University of Belize | |
| .ca | Canada | CIRA | |
| .cc | Cocos (Keeling) Islands | eNIC Cocos Islands Pty. Ltd. | |
| .cd | Democratic Republic of the Congo | OCPT | |
| .cf | Central African Republic | SOCATEL | |
| .cg | Republic of Congo | ONPT Congo and Interpoint Switzerland | |
| .ch | Switzerland | SWITCH | |
| .ci | Cote d'Ivoire | INP-HB | |
| .ck | Cook Islands | Telecom Cook Islands Ltd. | |
| .cl | Chile | NIC Chile | |
| .cm | Cameroon | CAMTEL | |
| .cn | China | CNNIC | |
| .co | Colombia | .co Internet | |
| .cr | Costa Rica | Academia Nacional de Ciencias | |
| .cu | Cuba | CENIA | |
| .cv | Cape Verde | ANAC | |
| .cw | Curaçao | Unassigned | |
| .cx | Christmas Island | Christmas Island Internet Administration Ltd. | |
| .cy | Cyprus | University of Cyprus | |
| .cz | Czech Republic | CZ.NIC | |
| .de | Germany | DENIC | |
| .dj | Djibouti | Djibouti Telecom SA | |
| .dk | Denmark | Dansk Internet Forum | |
| .dm | Dominica | DotDM Corporation | |
| .do | Dominican Republic | Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra Recinto Santo Tomas de Aquino | |
| .dz | Algeria | CERIST | |
| .ec | Ecuador | NIC.EC | |
| .ee | Estonia | National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics | |
| .eg | Egypt | EUN Supreme Council of Universities | |
| .eh | Western Sahara | Unassigned | |
| .er | Eritrea | EriTel | |
| .es | Spain | Red.es | |
| .et | Ethiopia | Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation | |
| .eu | European Union | EURid | |
| .fi | Finland | Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority | |
| .fj | Fiji | The University of the South Pacific IT Services | |
| .fk | Falkland Islands (Malvinas) | Falkland Islands Government | |
| .fm | Federated States of Micronesia | FSM Telecommunications Corporation | |
| .fo | Faroe Islands | FO Council | |
| .fr | France | AFNIC | |
| .ga | Gabon | Gabon Telecom | |
| .gb | United Kingdom | Unassigned, reserved domain | |
| .gd | Grenada | NTRC | |
| .ge | Georgia | Caucasus Online | |
| .gf | French Guiana | Net Plus | |
| .gg | Guernsey | Island Networks Ltd. | |
| .gh | Ghana | Network Computer Systems Ltd. | |
| .gi | Gibraltar | Sapphire Networks | |
| .gl | Greenland | TELE Greenland AS | |
| .gm | Gambia | GM-NIC | |
| .gn | Guinea | Centre National des Sciences Halieutiques de Boussoura | |
| .gp | Guadeloupe | Networking Technologies Group | |
| .gq | Equatorial Guinea | GETESA | |
| .gr | Greece | ICS-FORTH GR | |
| .gs | South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | GSGSSI | |
| .gt | Guatemala | Universidad del Valle de Guatemala | |
| .gu | Guam | University of Guam Computer Center | |
| .gw | Guinea-Bissau | Fundação IT and MEDIA Universidade de Bissao | |
| .gy | Guyana | University of Guyana | |
| .hk | Hong Kong | Hong Kong Internet Registration Corporation Ltd. | |
| .hm | Heard Island and McDonald Islands | HM Domain Registry | |
| .hn | Honduras | Red de Desarrollo Sostenible Honduras | |
| .hr | Croatia | CARnet | |
| .ht | Haiti | Consortium FDS/RDDH | |
| .hu | Hungary | CHIP | |
| .id | Indonesia | IDNIC-PPAU Mikroelektronika | |
| .ie | Ireland | University College Dublin Computing Services | |
| .il | Israel | ISOC Israel | |
| .im | Isle of Man | Isle of Man Government | |
| .in | India | NIXI | |
| .io | British Indian Ocean Territory | IO Top Level Domain Registry Cable and Wireless | |
| .iq | Iraq | CMC | |
| .ir | Islamic Republic of Iran | Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences | |
| .is | Iceland | ISNIC | |
| .it | Italy | IIT - CNR | |
| .je | Jersey | Island Networks (Jersey) Ltd. | |
| .jm | Jamaica | University of West Indies | |
| .jo | Jordan | NITC | |
| .jp | Japan | Japan Registry Services | |
| .ke | Kenya | KeNIC | |
| .kg | Kyrgyzstan | AsiaInfo Telecommunications Enterprise | |
| .kh | Cambodia | Cambodia Ministry of Post and Telecommunications | |
| .ki | Kiribati | Ministry of Communications, Transport, and Tourism Development | |
| .km | Comoros | Comores Telecom | |
| .kn | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Ministry of Finance, Sustainable Development Information & Technology | |
| .kp | Democratic People's Republic of Korea | Star Joint Venture Company | |
| .kp | Republic of Korea | KISA | |
| .kw | Kuwait | Ministry of Communications | |
| .ky | Caymen Islands | The Information and Communication Authority | |
| .kz | Kazakhstan | Association of IT Companies of Kazakhstan | |
| .la | Laos | LANIC | |
| .lb | Lebanon | American University of Beirut Computing and Networking Services | |
| .lc | Saint Lucia | University of Puerto Rico | |
| .li | Liechtenstein | Universitaet Liechtenstein | |
| .lk | Sri Lanka | Council for Information Technology and LK Domain Registrar | |
| .lr | Liberia | Data Technology Solutions, Inc. | |
| .ls | Lesotho | National University of Lesotho | |
| .lt | Lithuania | Kaunas University of Technology Information Technology Development Institute | |
| .lu | Luxembourg | RESTENA | |
| .lv | Latvia | Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science Department of Network Solutions | |
| .ly | Libya | General Post and Telecommunications Company | |
| .ma | Morocco | ANRT | |
| .mc | Monaco | Gouvernement de Monaco Direction des Communications Electroniques | |
| .md | Republic of Moldova | MoldData | |
| .me | Montenegro | Government of Montenegro | |
| .mf | Saint Martin | Unassigned | |
| .mg | Madagascar | NIC-MG | |
| .mh | Marshall Islands | Cabinet Office | |
| .mk | Macedonia | Ministry of Foreign Relations | |
| .ml | Mali | SOTELMA | |
| .mm | Myanmar | Ministry of Communications, Posts & Telegraphs | |
| .mn | Mongolia | Datacom Co., Ltd. | |
| .mo | Macao | University of Macau | |
| .mp | Northern Mariana Islands | Saipan Datacom | |
| .mq | Martinique | SYSTEL | |
| .mr | Mauritania | University of Nouakchott | |
| .ms | Montserrat | MNI Networks Ltd. | |
| .mt | Malta | NIC Malta | |
| .mu | Mauritius | Internet Direct Ltd | |
| .mv | Maldives | DHIVEHINET | |
| .mw | Malawi | Malawi SDNP | |
| .mx | Mexico | NIC Mexico | |
| .my | Malaysia | MYNIC | |
| .nc | New Caledonia | Office des Postes et Telecommunications | |
| .ne | Niger | SONITEL | |
| .nf | Norfolk Island | Norfolk Island Data Services | |
| .ng | Nigeria | NiRA | |
| .ni | Nicaragua | Universidad Nacional del Ingernieria Centro de Computo | |
| .nl | Netherlands | Stichting Internet Domeinregistratie Nederland | |
| .no | Norway | UNINETT Norid AS | |
| .np | Nepal | Mercantile Communications | |
| .nr | Nauru | CENPAC NET | |
| .nu | Niue | The IUSN Foundation | |
| .nz | New Zealand | InternetNZ | |
| .om | Oman | TRA | |
| .pa | Panama | Universidad Tecnologica de Panama | |
| .pe | Peru | Red Cientifica Peruana | |
| .pf | French Polynesia | Ministère des Postes et Télécommunications | |
| .pg | Papua New Guinea | PNG DNS Administration | |
| .ph | Philippines | PH Domain Foundation | |
| .pk | Pakistan | PKNIC | |
| .pl | Poland | Research and Academic Computer Network | |
| .pm | Saint Pierre and Miquelon | AFNIC | |
| .pn | Pitcairn | Pitcairn Island Administration | |
| .pr | Puerto Rico | Gauss Research Laboratory | |
| .ps | Palestine | Ministry of Telecommunications & IT | |
| .pt | Portugal | Fundação para a Computação Científica Nacional | |
| .pw | Palau | Micronesia Investment and Development Corporation | |
| .py | Paraguay | NIC-PY | |
| .qa | Qatar | ictQATAR | |
| .re | Reunion | AFNIC | |
| .ro | Romania | National Institute for R&D in Informatics | |
| .rs | Serbia | RNIDS | |
| .ru | Russia | Coordination Center for TLD RU | |
| .rw | Rwanda | NIC Congo | |
| .sa | Saudi Arabia | Communications and Information Technology | |
| .sb | Solomon Islands | Solomon Telekom Company | |
| .sc | Seychelles | VCS | |
| .sd | Sudan | ISOC Sudan | |
| .se | Sweden | Interner Infrastructure Foundation | |
| .sg | Singapore | SGNIC | |
| .sh | Saint Helena | Government of St. Helena | |
| .si | Slovenia | ARNES | |
| .sj | Svalbard and Jan Mayen | UNINETT Norid AS | |
| .sk | Slovakia | SK-NIC | |
| .sl | Sierra Leone | Sierratel | |
| .sm | San Marino | Telecom Italia San Marino | |
| .sn | Senegal | Universite Cheikh Anta Diop and NIC Senegal | |
| .so | Somalia | Somalia Ministry of Post and Telecommunications | |
| .sr | Suriname | Telesur | |
| .ss | South Sudan | Unassigned | |
| .st | Sao Tome and Principe | Tecnisys | |
| .su]] | Soviet Union | ROSNIIROS | Being phased out |
| .sv | El Salvador | SVNet | |
| .sx | Sint Maarten | Unassigned | |
| .sy | Syria | NANS | |
| .sz | Swaziland | University of Swaziland Department of Computer Science | |
| .tc | Turks and Caicos Islands | MelrexTC | |
| .td | Chad | SOTEL TCHAD | |
| .tf | French Southern Territories | AFNIC | |
| .tg | Togo | Cafe Informatique et Telecommunications | |
| .th | Thailand | THNIC | |
| .tj | Tajikistan | Information Technology Center | |
| .tk | Tokelau | Teletok | |
| .tl | Timor-Leste | Ministry Infrastructure Information and Technology Division | |
| .tm | Turkmenistan | TM Domain Registry | |
| .tn | Tunisia | Agence Tunisienne d'Internet | |
| .to | Tonga | Government of the Kingdom of Tonga | |
| .tp | Portuguese Timor | Unassigned | Being phased out |
| .tr | Turkey | Middle East Technical University Department of Computer Engineering | |
| .tt | Trinidad and Tobago | University of the West Indies Faculty of Engineering | |
| .tv | Tuvalu | Ministry of Finance and Tourism | |
| .tw | Taiwan | TWNIC | |
| .tz | Tanzania | TzNIC | |
| .ua | Ukraine | Communication Systems Ltd. | |
| .ug | Uganda | Uganda Online | |
| .uk | United Kingdom | Nominet | |
| .um | United States Minor Outlying Islands | Unassigned | |
| .us | United States | NeuStar | |
| .uy | Uruguay | SeCIU | |
| .uz | Uzbekistan | UZINFOCOM | |
| .va | Vatican City | Internet Office of the Holy See | |
| .vc | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Ministry of Telecommunications, Science, Technology and Industry | |
| .ve | Venezuela | CONATEL | |
| .vg | British Virgin Islands | Pinebrook Developments Ltd. | |
| .vi | US Virgin Islands | NIC.vi | |
| .vn | Vietnam | Ministry of Information and Communications of Socialist Republic of Viet Nam | |
| .vu | Vanuatu | Telecom Vanuatu Ltd. | |
| .wf | Wallis and Futuna | AFNIC | |
| .ws | Samoa | Government of Samoa Ministry of Foreign Affairs | |
References
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