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The domain name system allows users to refer to websites and other Internet resources using names rather than the all-numeric IP addresses assigned to each computer on the Internet. Each domain name consists of a series of character strings separated by dots. The right-most string is its top-level domain (TLD), and every TLD is managed by a single [[registry]].
The '''top-level domain (TLD)''' is the right-most string, or series of characters, in every [[URL|web address]]. The [[Domain Name System|domain name system]] allows users to refer to websites and other Internet resources using names rather than the all-numeric IP addresses assigned to each computer on the Internet. Every TLD is managed by a single [[:Category:Registries|registry]].
 
==TLD Growth - Overview from 1983 to 2021==
{| class="wikitable"
! Dates !! TLDs !! Use !! Reason !! Significance
|-
| 1983 || [[.no]] || [[ccTLD|country code TLD]] || Restricted to use by entities in Norway || The first two-letter country code based on the [[ISO 3166-1]]
|-
| October 1984 || [[.com]], [[.net]], [[.org]] || Open || Any person or entity is permitted to register a domain name using these TLDs|| The first [[gTLD]]s
|-
| October 1984 || [[.edu]], [[.gov]], [[.mil]] || Limited; [[sTLD|an entity has sponsored the operation of this TLD]] || For higher educational institutions, United States governmental entities and agencies, and divisions, services and agencies of the United States Department of Defense, respectively || The first [[gTLD]]s
|-
| 1985 || [[.us]], [[.uk]] [[.il]]  || ccTLDs || USA, UK, Israel || GB is the UK's [[ISO 3166]] country code. However, [[JANET NRS]] defined UK as the top-level domain a few months before the ISO-derived list; it was registered on July 24, 1985.
|-
| 1986 || [[.au]], [[.de]], [[.fi]], [[.fr]], [[.is]], [[.kr]], [[.nl]], [[.se]] || ccTLDs || Australia, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, South Korea, Netherlands, Sweden || The next eight ccTLDs
|-
| November 3, 1988 || [[.int]]  || Limited; sponsored || For organizations, offices, and programs endorsed by a treaty between two or more nations || In response to a request by NATO
|-
|-
| March 1994 || || || || [[Jon Postel]]'s [[RFC 1591]] establishes the baseline standards for eligible TLDs.
|-
| 1996 || || || || Jon Postel drafts "New Registries and the Delegation of International Top Level Domains"
|-
| 1998 || || || || Domain deregulation; [[ICANN]] is formed to oversee Internet names and numbers
|-
| May 2000 || [[.arpa]] || Limited; sponsored || All Internet infrastructure databases || one of the original TLDs, .arpa is re-designated at this time as an Address and Routing Parameter Area, critical to maintaining the [[SSR| stability of the Internet]]
|-
| November 16, 2000 || [[.aero]], [[.biz]], [[.coop]], [[.info]], [[.museum]], [[.name]], [[.pro]] || Sponsored gTLDs ||  ||
|-
| June 29, 2006 || || Test domains || per [[ICANN Board]] Resolution 07.47 || eleven such domains have been delegated thus far
|-
| 2007 || [[.cat]], [[.eu]], [[.asia]]|| Sponsored [[geoTLD|specifically for a cultural, ethnic, or regional group]] || Represents Catalan language and culture, the countries in the European Union, and the Asian continent, respectively || The first TLDs to denote geographical, geopolitical, ethnic, social, or cultural representation
|-
| October 30, 2009 || || || || [[IDN ccTLD]] [[IDN Fast Track|Fast Track Process]] is approved by the [[ICANN Board]]
|-
| || [[.jobs]], [[.mobi]], [[.tel]], [[.travel]] || limited to entities having something to do with the phrase comprising the TLD in question ||
|-
|May 5, 2010 || [[مصر]] [[السعودية]] [[امارات]] || [[IDN ccTLD]]s || From right to left, for Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates || For the first time in the history of the Internet, non-Latin characters are being used for top-level domains
|-
| April 2011 || [[.xxx]] || Sponsored gTLD ||  || [[ICM Registry]] had submitted proposals for this sTLD for pornographic sites since 2000
|-
| June 20, 2011 || [[.post]] || sTLD || last TLD before New TLD Program ||  [[ICANN Board]] votes to dramatically increase the number of gTLDs from the 22 already in operation
|-
| January 12, 2012 || || [[Community TLD|community]] or standard || applicant decides if the nTLD is for a defined community consisting of a restricted population; the distinction between sponsored/unsponsored TLDs is deemed irrelevant to this round of nTLDs ||The application window for [[All New gTLD Applications]] opens
|-
| June 13, 2012 || [[.scot]] || community nTLD application  || for Scottish culture || Reveal Day: [[All New gTLD Applications|1,930 applications for new gTLDs submitted]]; '''751''' of which were contested
|-
| July 15, 2013 || [[.сайт]], [[.онлайн]], [[.شبكة]], [[.游戏]]  || [[IDN]] nTLDs || (xn--80aswg) – Russian for "site"; (xn--80asehdb) – Russian for "online"شبكة (xn--ngbc5azd) – Arabic for "web/network"; (xn--unup4y) – Chinese for "game(s)" || First four nTLD agreements signed
|-
| September 15, 2014 || [[.prof]] || -- || -- || 400th nTLD was delegated
|-
| 20 May 2017 || [[ccTLD]]s || -- || -- || 255 ccTLDs delegated
|-
| June 2020 || [[IDN]] ccTLDs || --  || --  || 61 IDN ccTLDs approved
|-
| October 17, 2020 || [[.spa]] || nTLD || latest delegated nTLD || [[IANA]] lists 1589 TLDs (1503 in use, 67 not assigned/revoked, 8 retired, 11 test domains)
|}


==Varieties of TLDs==  
==Varieties of TLDs==  
There are different types of TLDs.   
There are different types of TLDs.   
===[[gTLD]]s===
===[[gTLD]]s===
*[[sTLD]]s
*[[gTLD|the original generic top-level domains]]
*[[brand TLD]]s
*[[sTLD]]s - has a sponsor for a specific purpose, such as to represent a specific ethnic community, professional group, or geographical location.
*[[Community TLD]]s
*[[All New gTLD Applications|nTLD]]s - domains that were introduced beginning in October 2013
 
*[[community TLD]]s relate to local events, gatherings, organizations, or communities, in essence replacing sTLDs
*[[geoTLD]]s represent geographical or regional areas that are not countries with three or more ASCII characters.
*[[brand TLD]]s - corporations use their corporate name as their website's top-level identifier instead of .com or .biz domain space
*[[hSTLD]]s
===[[ccTLD]]s===
===[[ccTLD]]s===
TLDs with two letters have been established for over 250 countries and external territories.[[:Category:CcTLD|These country-code TLDs]] are delegated to a designated [[:Category:CcTLD Registry|ccTLD registry]], which is operated by a [[:Category:CcTLD Manager|ccTLD Manager]], according to local policies that are adapted to meet the economic, cultural, linguistic, and legal circumstances of the country or territory involved.
[[:Category:CcTLD|Country-code TLDs]] are delegated to a designated [[:Category:CcTLD Registry|ccTLD registry]], which is operated by a [[:Category:CcTLD Manager|ccTLD Manager]], according to local policies that are adapted to meet the economic, cultural, linguistic, and legal circumstances of the country or territory involved.
 
*[[ccTLD|ccTLDs with ASCII characters]]
===Program-specific TLDs===
:TLDs with two ASCII characters have been established for over 250 countries and external territories, including Strings eligible under [[ICANN Board]] Resolution 00.74 (currently this category applies to only one domain, .eu) [https://features.icann.org/2000-09-25-delegation-cctlds ICANN - Board Resolution on the Delegation of ccTLDs], and "Grandfathered" TLDs from prior to 2000, based on "exceptionally reserved" codes in the ISO 3166-1 standard (this category currently applies to two TLDs - .uk and .ac);
*[[hSTLD]]s
*[[IDN ccTLD]]s
*[[New gTLD Program|nTLD]]s
:TLDs with non-ASCII characters designated for a country or geographic region.


==Operating Mode==
==Operating Mode==
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==Level of Restriction==
==Level of Restriction==
* Unrestricted - If there are no requirements that must be met in order to register a name under a TLD, that TLD is Unrestricted.
* Unrestricted - If there are no requirements that must be met in order to register a name under a TLD, that TLD is Unrestricted.
* Restricted - Requiring Local Physical Address, Local Tax ID, or other specific criteria be met to qualify in order to provision a name.
* Restricted - Requiring Local Physical Address, Local Tax ID, or other specific criteria to qualify.
* Sponsored - A variation on Restricted, the applicant for a domain in an [[STLD]] must meet the requirements within that TLD (ie. [[.jobs]] would require that Human Resources be involved, [[.travel]] would require certain Travel criteria are met, etc).
 
==History==
The need for a hierarchical [[DNS]] arose with the popularity of the Internet in academic spheres in the early 1980s, which eventually necessitated a decentralized Internet. Communications between [[The Stanford Research Institute NIC]] and other institutions included plans to create a hierarchical [[DNS]], and can be found in [http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc805.txt RFC 805], a group document from 1982. This document outlines many of the basics of the eventual [[DNS]], including the need for [[TLD]]s to provide a fixed starting point for queries, and the need for [[SLD]]s to be unique. This, in turn, would necessitate the need for a [[registrar]] type of administration, and help the nascent IT community recognize that the distribution of responsibility for each domain to individual name servers would provide administrative advantages.<ref>[http://www.livinginternet.com/i/iw_dns_history.htm Living Internet]</ref>
 


Following a six-year development process, [[ICANN]] launched the [[New gTLD Program]] at its Singapore conference in June 2011. This unlimited expansion program allowed anyone to apply to run nearly any string for the first time in the history of the Internet.<ref>[http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-20jun11-en.htm ICANN Approves Historic Change to Internet's Domain Name System, icann.org]</ref> On June, 13th, 2012 ("Reveal Day"), it was announced that there were 1,930 applications: 84 of these were [[Community gTLD|community applications]], 116 are for [[IDN]]s, and 230 of the applications have one or more applicant and will thus go through [[String Contention|string contention]] processes. This means the first round of the new gTLD program could create a maximum of 1,409 new TLDs.<ref>[http://www.thedomains.com/2012/06/13/nnew-gtlds-by-the-numbers-1930-apps-751-apps-in-conflict-max-number-of-new-gtlds-1409/ New gTLDs by the Numbers, TheDomains.com]</ref>
==Reserved Names==
Some domain names are reserved, which means they can only be used (if at all) by the [[:Category:Entities|entities]] for whom they are reserved.
* [[ccTLDs|country code top-level domains]]
* [[ICANN|related to ICANN]]
* [[IANA|related to IANA functions]]
* [[:Category:Government|names of countries and territories]]
* [[:Category:Organizations|names of international and intergovernmental organizations]]
* [[:Category:registries|names that a registry operator uses to operate the gTLD]]


==References==  
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
__NOTOC__
[[Category: Glossary]]
[[Category: Glossary]]
[[Category: Acronym]]
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