The top-level domain (TLD) .GI is the Internet country code for Gibraltar. In the structure of a domain name, TLDs are the last part of the Internet address and are located after the last dot. These domains are the highest level in the hierarchical Domain Name System (DNS) of the Internet. In the case of “www.google.com,” “.com” is the TLD.
The delegation record for the .GI TLD in the root zone database (IANA – Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) provides the whois information, which includes administrative and technical contacts. The sponsor organization for .GI is the Government of Gibraltar. The TLD was assigned on 30th July 1996.
The authorized use of the .GI TLD is primarily for entities connected with Gibraltar. According to the registry site for .gi domains, it is available for any individual or organization globally, but with a local presence requirement. While there is no requirement for a business to trade within Gibraltar to register such a domain, it may give benefits such as enhancing local SEO and giving the perception of a localized business.
Examples of .GI domains include the official government site “www.gibraltar.gov.gi” and Gibtelecom, the local Gibraltar telecom provider, with the website “www.gibtele.com.gi”. Another example is the University of Gibraltar using “www.unigib.edu.gi”. Each of these domains shows the versatility of the .GI domain, as they are used by different entities all located in Gibraltar.
In recent years there has been a general trend of countries and territories promoting their own TLDs. These are known as country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) and Gibraltar is no exception to this.
It is important to note that while registering a .GI national domain could certainly serve a local presence need, it would not circumvent the general rules or laws regarding business operations and necessary permissions in Gibraltar.
The sources used for this information are IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) which manages the global coordination of the DNS Root, IP addressing, and other Internet protocol resources. SearchEngineWatch was used for information on the benefits of local TLD for SEO, and the registry site nic.gi provides the rules and regulations of the .GI domain registration.
Sources:
1. IANA — .gi Domain Delegation Data – https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/gi.html
2. Gibraltar Domain Registry – https://nic.gi/
3. SearchEngineWatch – https://www.searchenginewatch.com/2012/11/12/the-complete-guide-to-local-seo-for-multiple-locations/
