.aq
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Introduced | 1992 |
|---|---|
| TLD type | Country code top-level domain |
| Status | Active |
| Registry | 2Day Internet Limited |
| Sponsor | Mott and Associates |
| Intended use | Entities connected with  Antarctica |
| Actual use | Several scientific stations and projects in Antarctica have sites in this domain |
| Registration restrictions | Must have physical presence in Antarctica or be a governmental organization signatory to the Antarctic Treaty |
| Structure | Registrations are taken at second level |
| Documents | Registration form |
| Dispute policies | None |
| Website | None |
.aq is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Antarctica. It is reserved for organizations that conduct work in Antarctica or promote the Antarctic and Southern Ocean regions. It is administered by Peter Mott of Mott and Associates of Auckland, New Zealand.
Conventional internet connection can only be accomplished through the use of a satellite connection system or satellite based devices.
Oddly, the Australian government's official website for Heard Island conservation efforts is "heardisland.aq", notwithstanding that Heard Island and McDonald Islands have their own ccTLD '.hm'.
[edit] External links
- IANA .aq whois information
- Google query for .aq websites. (As of June 2009 about 23,500 web pages.)
- Top-Level-Domain .AQ (German) (Information site about .aq)
