Country code top-level domain facts for kids
A country code top-level domain (or ccTLD) is like a special internet address ending for a specific country. Think of it as the two letters at the very end of a website address, like `.us` for the United States or `.uk` for the United Kingdom. These endings help organize websites around the world, showing where a website is generally from or meant for.
What are ccTLDs?
Every website address, like `www.example.com`, has different parts. The last part, `.com` or `.org`, is called a top-level domain. When this ending is connected to a specific country, it's a ccTLD.
These special endings are managed by different organizations in each country. They make sure that websites use the correct address for their location.
How do ccTLDs work?
Each country or dependent territory gets its own two-letter code. For example:
Sometimes, these ccTLDs are only available to people or organizations in that country. For example, to get a `.au` domain, you usually need to be in Australia. Other times, a country might allow anyone from anywhere in the world to register a domain with their ccTLD.
Some ccTLDs have become very popular for reasons other than their country. For example:
- The `.tv` domain, which belongs to Tuvalu, is often used by television companies because "TV" fits their business.
- The `.fm` domain, from the Federated States of Micronesia, is popular with radio stations.
A few examples of ccTLDs
There are hundreds of ccTLDs, one for almost every country and territory in the world! Here are just a few examples to show how they work:
- `.ad` — Andorra
- `.ae` — United Arab Emirates
- `.af` — Afghanistan
- `.ar` — Argentina
- `.at` — Austria
- `.au` — Australia
- `.be` — Belgium
- `.br` — Brazil
- `.ch` — Switzerland
- `.cn` — People's Republic of China
- `.co` — Colombia
- `.de` — Germany
- `.es` — Spain
- `.fr` — France
- `.in` — India
- `.it` — Italy
- `.jp` — Japan
- `.mx` — Mexico
- `.nl` — Netherlands
- `.nz` — New Zealand
- `.ph` — Philippines
- `.ru` — Russia
- `.se` — Sweden
- `.sg` — Singapore
- `.uk` — United Kingdom
- `.us` — United States
Some ccTLDs are not used or are no longer in use. For example, `.su` was for the Soviet Union, which no longer exists as a country.
Related pages
See also
In Spanish: Dominio de nivel superior geográfico para niños
