Landskodstoppdomäner

Landskodstoppdomäner, often abbreviated as ccTLDs (country code top-level domains), are two-letter domain name extensions reserved for individual countries, sovereign states, or territories. These domains are managed by designated registries within each respective country. For example, .se is the ccTLD for Sweden, .de for Germany, and .uk for the United Kingdom. The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) oversees the allocation and management of these domain extensions.

The purpose of ccTLDs is to identify a website's geographic origin or affiliation. Many countries use their ccTLD to indicate that the content or services are primarily targeted at users within that nation. Some ccTLDs have also gained popularity beyond their intended geographic scope, often due to their acronym or wordplay potential. For instance, .tv (Tuvalu) is widely used by media and television-related websites, and .io (British Indian Ocean Territory) is popular in the tech industry.

The rules and regulations for registering and maintaining ccTLDs vary significantly from country to country. Some registries have strict requirements, such as requiring local residency or a registered business within the country, while others are more open. The availability of specific domain names under a ccTLD also depends on the registry's policies.