Proposed top-level domain facts for kids

The Internet uses a special system called the Domain Name System (DNS). Think of it like a giant address book for all websites. At the very top of this system are top-level domains (TLDs). These are the last parts of a website address, like `.com`, `.org`, or `.net`.

When the internet started growing, people wanted more types of website addresses. In 1984, there were only six main types of these addresses, called generic top-level domains (gTLDs). To make room for more websites, new TLDs were suggested to an organization called ICANN. ICANN helps manage internet names and numbers. Some ideas were for "unrestricted gTLDs," which anyone could use. Other ideas were for "chartered gTLDs," meant for special groups or uses. In October 2000, ICANN shared a list of all the new TLD ideas they had received.

New Internet Addresses: Ideas and Plans

People have suggested many new top-level domains (TLDs) for different reasons. These ideas often focus on where a website is from, what language it uses, or what topic it covers.

Geographic Website Addresses

These ideas are about creating TLDs for specific places or regions.

• .geo
  • This TLD was proposed for general geographical locations. It would help organize websites based on their real-world place.

• .ln and .le
  • These TLDs, along with others like .lunar and .moon, were offered by someone selling "land" on the moon and other planets. However, these TLDs are not officially supported by the internet's main servers. This means they don't actually work as website addresses.

• .toronto
  • Officials from the City of Toronto in Canada suggested this TLD. It would be used for websites related to their city.

International Country Codes

Some countries use languages with different writing systems, like Japanese or Arabic. These proposals are for country code TLDs (ccTLDs) that use these special characters. This process is called the Internationalized Domain Name (IDN) ccTLD Fast Track Process.

DNS name	IDN ccTLD	Country	Transliteration	Script	ccTLD	Year of application
xn--wgv71a	.日本	Japan	Nippon or Nihon	Kanji	.jp	2008
xn--vcst06ab2a	.日本国		Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku	Kanji		2012
xn--mgbb7fyab	ليبيا.	Libya	Lībyā	Arabic	.ly

Many countries use non-Latin scripts for their languages. However, they do not yet have an internationalized country code top-level domain. Some of these countries include:

• Afghanistan
• Bhutan
• Cambodia
• Cyprus
• Eritrea
• Ethiopia
• North Korea
• Kyrgyzstan
• Lebanon
• Maldives
• Myanmar
• Nepal
• Tajikistan

Language and Community Website Addresses

These proposals aim to create unique internet identities for groups of people who share a language or culture. They were inspired by the success of the .cat domain, which was made for websites in the Catalan language or about Catalan culture.

• Some of these groups, like those behind dotCYMRU, dotEUS, dotSCOT, and dotBZH, formed a group called ECLID. This group works together to help their cultural and language-based domain applications succeed.

Technical Website Address Ideas

These proposals focus on specific technical uses for domain names.

• .mail
  • This domain was suggested for e-mail networks. The idea was that it could help fight against unwanted emails, known as e-mail spam.

• .web
  • This TLD was proposed for general use on the World Wide Web. It would be a broad category for many different types of websites.

Specialized and Professional Topics

These TLDs are for specific topics, industries, or groups of professionals.

• .eco
  • This domain is for websites related to environmental causes. It became fully available in 2017.

• .med
  • This TLD is for medical professionals and organizations. It has been available since 2016.

• .shop
  • This domain is for electronic commerce sites, meaning online stores where people can buy things. It has been available since 2016.

• .sport
  • This TLD is for websites about sports.

See also

• List of Internet top-level domains
• Generic top-level domain – New top-level domains