Certainly,
The top-level domain (TLD) “.cymru” (which is the Welsh word for Wales) is a geographic TLD (GeoTLD) introduced in 2014 and sponsored by the Nominet UK. It is intended for use by the Welsh community, both in Wales and elsewhere. Unlike generic TLDs (gTLDs), such as .com, .net, etc., geographic TLDs typically have residency requirements. As of today, there are no such requirements to register a .cymru domain.
Nominet UK, originally a non-profit organization known as the “the national registry for .uk domain names,” is the domain registry operator for .cymru, as well as for .uk and .wales. It is involved in policy discussions concerning domain name management, and it engages with the global Internet community as a whole.
The technical operations of a .cymru domain, like those of any other TLD, involve the use of Domain Name System (DNS) technologies. DNS technology involves the use of servers to translate domain names into Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. This is done recursively, starting with root servers that know the addresses of the TLD name servers, which in turn know the addresses of the second-level domain name servers, and so on.
Nominet UK operates the DNS servers for the .cymru TLD, along with a numerous other technical operations tasks such as maintaining an up-to-date, publicly accessible WHOIS database that holds registrant information. Notably, in line with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), WHOIS databases should no longer display personal information about domain name registrants without their consent.
The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), a department of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), lists Nominet UK as the sponsoring organization for the .cymru TLD on its Root Zone Database.
To give you an example of a website that employs .cymru TLD, one could visit https://gov.wales/, the official website of Welsh Government. Despite its .wales TLD, they also own the domain name using .cymru TLD which redirects to the same website ensuring Welsh speakers and those with a love for the language could have a sense of national identity online.
In terms of choosing a domain registrar for a .cymru domain, it’s important to select a company accredited by Nominet UK. Examples include companies like 123 Reg, Fasthosts and Wix.
Sources :
1. IANA root zone database: https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db
2. Nominet UK: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nominet\_UK
3. .cymru.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.cymru
4. The Domain Name System: https://www.nominet.uk/internet-governance/the-domain-name-system/
5. WHOIS and GDPR https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/gdpr-legal-analysis-wp29-guidance-2018-02-08-en
6. “Go .cymru”: https://ourhomeonline.wales/why-go-dot-cymru-dot-wales
7. List of Nominet registrars: https://registrars.nominet.uk/namespace/uk/registration-and-domain-management/registrar-list
