The top-level domain (TLD) “.iq” is the country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Iraq. Country Code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs) represent specific geographic locations. They consist of two letters determined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 3166-1 alpha-2 format country codes. Examples of ccTLDs include “.uk” for the United Kingdom, “.au” for Australia, and “.fr” for France.
ccTLDs, such as “.iq”, are generally assigned and managed by a designated organization within the applicable country, and regulations surrounding their use vary from country to country. For Iraq, it’s the Communications and Media Commission (CMC) that is in charge of regulating and managing the “.iq” ccTLD.
According to the Report of the meeting of CCTLD managers at the 51st International Public ICANN Meeting in Singapore, the “.iq” country code was initially delegated to InfoCom Corp. in 1997. However, due to the various conflicts in Iraq, the domain was only rarely used and was eventually removed from the domain name system. In 2005, the National Communications and Media Commission of Iraq took over the management of the “.iq” ccTLD and has managed it ever since. This detail is obtained from the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), which is a department of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) responsible for coordinating some of the key elements that keep the internet running smoothly.
While second level domains under the “.iq” ccTLD can be registered directly, there also exist third level domains aimed at different categories of users or different types of organizations. Some examples are “.gov.iq” for government entities, “.org.iq” for organizations, and “.com.iq” for commercial entities.
Individuals and entities looking to register a domain with the “.iq” TLD must go through a registration process which generally includes providing certain identification and contact information, as well as agreeing to various terms and conditions. Most ccTLDs, “.iq” included, have a local presence requirement, meaning the domain owner must be a resident or have a physical presence in the country.
In conclusion, the “.iq” TLD represents the ccTLD for Iraq. Like all country code top-level domains, it is regulated by a local entity, in this case, the Communications and Media Commission of Iraq. It can be used by individuals, businesses, and organizations that satisfy the local presence requirements.
Sources:
1. IANA Report on request for redelegation of the .IQ top-level domain, IANA (https://www.iana.org/reports/2005/iq-report-20may2005.html)
2. Resolution of the Iraq Key Internet Participants, ICANN (https://archive.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-29jul05.htm)
3. Report of the ccTLD Secretariat’s Meeting, GitHub (https://github.com/icann/ccnso.icann.org/blob/master/2014-10/51-cctld-final.pdf)
4. ccTLD Database, IANA (https://data.iana.org/TLD/tlds-alpha-by-domain.txt)
