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Country Code Extensions
By admin | February 12, 2008
As discussed earlier in this series, country code TLDs are two letter extensions (.DE, .JP) used by country or dependent territory. Global delegation and creation of country code extensions is managed by IANA. There are more than 240 country code extensions. See a list of all country code extensions.
Real Country Code Extensions
By real I mean they are used for the purposes of their own citizens and belong to specific territory (not commercialized).
Registration is managed by each country and thus each extension has a slightly different registration policy. Some extensions can be registered by anyone in the world, others have restrictions. See a world map with all ccTLDs (2.36 Mb, opens in new window)
Best known Country Code Extensions
- .US - United States
- .CA - Canada
- .BR - Brazil
- .EU -European Union
- .UK - United Kingdom
- .DE - Germany (Deutschland)
- .FR - France
- .IT - Italy
- .JP - Japan
- .CN - China
- .AU - Australia
Why Should I register real country code extensions?
ccTLDs (country code Top Level Domains) clearly notes the origin of a website. If you want to reach a specific market, than registering a country code extension is a must!
Example No.1: Google
Google, worlds largest search engine, uses many, if not all country code extensions for its local search services. Each extension has default language and default search scope, matched to its extension.
- google.com - global search in English speaking world
- google.de - local search in Germany
- google.fr - local search in France
- google.co.uk - local search in UK, and so on…
Example No.2: Sony
Sony, global electronics brand, uses country code extension to target local markets. Sony dot com and dot net are a global gateway to direct users to local Sony websites.
- sony.com and sony.net - global gateway
- sony.ca - local Sony website for Canada
- sony.ru - local Sony website for Russia
- sony.de - local Sony website for Germany, and so on.
Commercialized Country Code Extensions
These country code extensions, also caled vanity ccTLDs, are used outside their territories because of their attractive or marketable names.
- .AD, Andorra, used by advertising agencies.
- .AM, Armenia, used for AM radio stations.
- .CC,Cocos Islands, used for variety of sites.
- .CD, Democratic Republic of Congo, used by CD merchants and music related sites.
- .DJ, Djibouti, used by disc jockeys.
- .FM, Federated States of Micronesia, used for FM radio stations.
- .LA, Laos, marketed as the TLD for Los Angeles.
- .TV, Tuvalu, used for the television (dot TV) and broadcasting industry.
- .WS, Samoa is marketed as .Website
Are commercialized country code extensions right for me?
If you target a specific market, than these type of extensions can make a super brandable domain name for your website. Lots of great dot COMs are taken, so give it a try with country code extensions.
Feel free to add your own tips, experience or suggestions.
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