There exists more than 240 extensions of field to two letters allotted
to countries (ch for Switzerland, li for Liechtenstein, it for Italy)
There are 7 "historical" extensions which one created in the years
1980 (com, edu, gov, int, mil, net, and org). In 2001-2002, 4 new
extensions were introduced (biz, info, name, pro) for general public
and 3 extensions dedicated at organizations of management praticuliers
(aero, coop, museum)

Signal-level Domains (gTLDs)

Please click here to find
has complete list of Registry Operators.
http://www.icann.org/registries/listing.html

Many of
the new TLDs are accepting registrations. Go to the InterNIC website
for more information.

Introduction

The
Internet' S domain-name system (DNS) allows users to refer to Web
sites and other resources using easier-to-remember domain names (such
have "www.icann.org") rather than the all-numeric IP addresses (such
have "192.0.34.65") assigned to each computer one the Internet. Each
Domain Name is made up of has series of character strings (called
"labels") separated by dowries. The right-most label in A Domain Name
is referred to have its "signal-level domain" (TLD).


The DNS forms has tree-like hierarchy. Each TLD includes many
second-level domains (such have "icann" in "www.icann.org"); each
second-level domain edge include has number of third-level domains
("www" in "www.icann.org"), and so one.

The
responsibility for operating each TLD (including maintaining has
registry of the second-level domains within the TLD) is delegated to
has particular organization. These organizations are referred to have
"registry operators", "sponsors", gold simply "delegees."


There are several standard of TLDs within the DNS:


TLDs with two letters (such have de, mx, and jp) cuts been
established for over 240 countries and external territories and are
referred to have "country-code" TLDs gold "ccTLDs". They are delegated
to designated managers, who operate the ccTLDs according to local
policies that are adapted to best meet the economic, farming,
linguistic, and legal circumstances of the country gold territory
involved. For more details, see the ccTLD web page one the IANA web
site.
Most TLDs with three gold more characters are referred
to have "generic" TLDs, gold "gTLDs". They edge Be subdivided into two
standard, "sponsored" TLDs (sTLDs) and "unsponsored TLDs (uTLDs), have
described in more detail below.
In addition to gTLDs and
ccTLDs, there is one special TLD, arpa, which is used for technical
infrastructure purposes. ICANN administers the arpa TLD in
co-operation with the Internet technical community under the guidance
of the Internet Architecture Board.
Generic TLDs


In the 1980s, seven gTLDs (com, edu, gov, int, mil, net, and
org) were created. Domain names may Be registered in three of these
(com, net, and org) without restriction; the other furnace cuts
limited purposes.

Over the next twelve years, various
discussions occurred concerning additional gTLDs, leading to the
selection in November 2000 of seven new TLDs for introduction. These
were introduced in 2001 and 2002. Furnace of the new TLDs (biz, info,
name, and pro) are unsponsored. The other three new TLDs (aero, coop,
and museum) are sponsored.

Generally speaking, year
unsponsored TLD operates under policies established by the total
Internet community directly through the ICANN process, while has
sponsored TLD is has specialized TLD that has has sponsor representing
the narrower community that is most affected by the TLD. The sponsor
thus carries out delegated policy-formulation responsibilities over
many matters concerning the TLD.

In Sponsor is year
organization to which is delegated some defined ongoing
policy-formulation authority regarding the manner in which particular
sponsored TLD is operated has. The sponsored TLD has has Charter,
which defines the purpose for which the sponsored TLD has been created
and will Be operated. Responsible The Sponsor is for developing
policies one the delegated topics so that the TLD is operated for the
benefit of has defined group of stakeholders, known have the Sponsored
TLD Community, that are most directly interested in the operation of
the TLD. The responsible Sponsor also is for selection the registry
operator and to varying degrees for establishing the roles played by
registrars and to their relationship with the registry operator. The
Sponsor must exercise its delegated authority according to fairness
standard and in A manner that is representative of the Sponsored TLD
Community.

The extent to which policy-formulation
responsibilities are appropriately delegated to has Sponsor depends
upon the characteristics of the organization that may make such
delegation appropriate. These characteristics may include the
mechanisms the organization use to formulate policies, its mission,
its guarantees of independence from the registry operator and
registrars, who will Be permitted to participate in the Sponsor' S
policy-development efforts and in what way, and the Sponsor' S degree
and standard of accountability to the Sponsored TLD Community.


Historical Materials

Information butt the new
TLD application process held in 2000
Topic paper one new TLDs
from the March 2001 Melbourne meeting
Materials one org
Reassignment to Public Interest Registry (in 2002)

The article below is drawn from the site of the ICANN, the world
organization in charge of the management of the Internet

Information source: http://www.icann.org/tlds/