The top-level domain (TLD) .GR is the Internet country code TLD for Greece. It is administrated by the Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission (EETT), with secure operations provided by the Greek Research and Technology Network (GRNET).
TLDs are the last segment of a domain name – the letters that follow the final dot of any domain name. For example, in the domain name www.example.gr, the TLD (top-level domain) is “.gr”. They are differentiated into various types including country-code TLDs (ccTLDs), which are established for a particular country, such as .gr for Greece, .us for United States, or .fr for France, as well as generic TLDs (gTLDs) such as .com, .org, .net, etc.
The .gr TLD has been functional since 1989 and primarily serves the Greek linguistic and cultural community online. However, unlike some other ccTLDs, registration for .gr domain names is not restricted to residents or entities in Greece and it is open to registration from anyone, anywhere in the world. The domain can be registered at different hierarchy levels including at the second level (e.g. example.gr) or at the third level as a subdomain of other second-level domains provided by the registry including .com.gr, .net.gr, .org.gr, .edu.gr, etc.
The primary use for .gr, as with other ccTLDs, is to give websites local recognition, indicating its association with Greece, which can be important for businesses or institutions that operate in the country or primarily serve the Greek market or audience.
The .gr domain uses the DNS (Domain Name System) protocol. DNS is a naming system for computers, services, or any resource participating in the Internet. It translates memorized domain names to the numerical IP addresses needed for the purpose of locating and identifying computer services and devices with the underlying network protocols.
The .gr domain supports IDN (Internationalized Domain Names), enabling the use of characters from the Greek script. This is significant in production of native language web addresses.
In conclusion, .gr is the top-level domain name for Greece, which can be used by individuals, businesses, and institutions associated with Greece.
Sources used:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.gr
2. https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/what-2012-02-25-en
3. https://www.verisign.com/en\_US/domain-names/online/how-dns-works/index.xhtml
4. https://grweb.ics.forth.gr/
5. https://www.dynadot.com/become-a-registrar/GR.html
