.nl is the
Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, p ...
country code top-level domain
A country code top-level domain (ccTLD) is an Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It ...
(ccTLD) for the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Neth ...
. It is one of the most popular ccTLDs with over six million registered .nl domains .
When cwi.nl was registered by
Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica on 1986-05-01, .nl became the first active ccTLD outside the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territor ...
.
Registry
Since 31 January 1996, .nl domains are registered by the (SIDN, in English: Foundation for Internet Domain Registration Netherlands), based in
Arnhem. Most registrars are
ISPs, IT service bureaus and media service bureaus, but several large enterprises with many brand names have also become a registrar, or participant as SIDN calls them, which is a quite uncommon phenomenon in the
domain name
A domain name is a string that identifies a realm of administrative autonomy, authority or control within the Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protoc ...
industry. Registrars have to pay SIDN a fee for each domain since 1 April 1996, until then registration was free. SIDN does not deal directly with registrants. In the early days, most of the registrants were universities and research departments of large companies, such as .
Second-level domains
Official
second-level domains do not exist. A number of companies have taken the opportunity to register domains like co.nl and com.nl, using them to sell third-level domains. These are not affiliated with SIDN.
Individuals were allowed to register a second-level .nl domain since 2003. As a forerunner, individuals were allowed to register a
third-level domain since 2000. Such 'personal domains' had the form of . They never became popular, and registration has been suspended since 2006. Because there were only around 500 of such domains registered, in contrast to about 5 million second-level domains, SIDN announced the discontinuance of personal domains as of 2008 on 4 July 2007.
Other country-code TLDs under the Kingdom of Netherlands
*
.an – ccTLD for the former multi-nation
Netherlands Antilles federation
*
.aw – ccTLD for
Aruba
*
.bq – ccTLD for the
Caribbean Netherlands (
Bonaire
Bonaire (; , ; pap, Boneiru, , almost pronounced ) is a Netherlands, Dutch island in the Leeward Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. Its capital is the port of Kralendijk, on the west (Windward and leeward, leeward) coast of the island. Aruba, Bona ...
,
Sint Eustatius, and
Saba)
*
.cw – ccTLD for
Curaçao
*
.sx – ccTLD for
Sint Maarten
See also
*
Internet in the Netherlands
*
.amsterdam - TLD for
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, sub ...
*
.eu – ccTLD for the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its gre ...
*
.frl - TLD for the province of
Friesland
Friesland (, ; official fry, Fryslân ), historically and traditionally known as Frisia, is a province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a s ...
References
External links
.nl Domain Delegation Data.nl Registry websiteList of .nl registrars
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nl
1986 establishments in the Netherlands
Internet properties established in 1986
Country code top-level domains
Internet in the Netherlands
Mass media in the Netherlands
Council of European National Top Level Domain Registries members
sv:Toppdomän#N