The Top Level Domain (TLD) .AQ signifies the internet country code for Antarctica. It is managed and maintained by the Antarctica Network Information Centre (MAGIC), operated by Peter Mott of New Zealand.
Top Level Domains are the highest level of domain names in the hierarchical Domain Name System of the internet. They are installed in the root zone of the domain name system. For example, in the domain name www.example.com, the top-level domain is .com. Country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) represent specific geographic locations. For example: .us represents United States, .fr is for France, .cn is for China. For Antarctica, the ccTLD is .AQ.
.AQ is a ccTLD that is allocated for the continent of Antarctica, designated by the International Organization for Standardization’s (ISO) 3166-1 alpha-2 country codes.
There are special requirements associated with registering a .AQ domain. As per the policy put forth by the MAGIC, the domain is reserved for organizations that are signatories to the Antarctic Treaty and for other organizations who are conducting operations within Antarctica, which were either substantially based or headquartered in Antarctica.
The .AQ domain name, due to its specific requirements, is not as widely used as other top-level domains. However, few examples of its usage can be found. National Meteorology Institute of Italy, for example, uses the .AQ domain for their website (www.meteo.aq) dedicated to meteorology in the Antarctic region. Another one is British Antarctic Survey (BAS) that conducts scientific research in Antarctica and its research station at Halley uses the .AQ domain (www.halley.aq).
Despite its narrow application, the .AQ domain reflects the unique recognition of Antarctica’s geopolitical status on the internet, representing the continent in cyberspace the same way it is recognized internationally through the Antarctic Treaty System.
Sources used for the above information include the MAGIC Antarctica (the body that administrates the .AQ domain), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), who has allocated the ccTLDs, and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) that provides comprehensive information about domain name dispute resolution.
- MAGIC Antarctica. “Register Domain .aq.” www.aq
- International Organization for Standardization. “ISO 3166 — Country codes.” ISO, www.iso.org/iso-3166-country-codes.html
- World Intellectual Property Organization. “WIPO ccTLD Best Practices for the Prevention and Resolution of Intellectual Property disputes.” WIPO, www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/bestpractices
- National Meteorology Institute of Italy. “Antartide.” www.meteo.aq
- British Antarctic Survey. “Halley Research Station.” www.basses-halley.aq
