The top-level domain (TLD) for “.mw” is the country code for the Republic of Malawi in Southeastern Africa. It follows the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 standard code assigned by the International Organization for Standardization, which embarks upon creating codes for the names of countries and dependent territories.
Malawi’s Internet Country Code TLD, “.mw,” is overseen and primarily managed by the Malawi Sustainable Development Network Programme (Malawi SDNP), a UNDP supported Malawi Government Programme. According to the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), Malawi SDNP is the sponsoring organization for the “.mw” TLD and the one responsible for maintaining its administrative and technical contact.
Malawi’s “.mw” domain has several second-level domains under it, each designated to different entities. Some examples of these include: “.co.mw” for commercial entities, “.edu.mw” for educational institutions, “.gov.mw” for government agencies, “.int.mw” for international organizations, “.net.mw” for network providers, “.org.mw” for non-profit organizations and “.ac.mw” is generally used by academic institutions.
One prominent example of its use is by the University of Malawi (www.unima.mw), the oldest and largest public university in Malawi. Similarly, the government’s Ministry of Health also uses this domain (www.health.gov.mw) for the Department of HIV and AIDS.
While the precise number of “.mw” registrations aren’t publicly disclosed, it’s clear that numerous organizations, businesses, and institutions in Malawi take advantage of it to represent their association with the country.
The country code top-level domain (CC TLD) “.mw” is an important part of Malawi’s digital identity. It provides a recognizable national marker in the digital sphere, which can help foster a sense of national pride and unity, and help promote Malawian organizations to both local and international audiences.
Sources:
- Information on .mw – IANA : https://data.iana.org/TLD/tlds-alpha-by-domain.txt
- About Malawi SDNP : http://www.sdnp.org.mw/aboutus.html
- Second Level Domains of the .mw :
http://www.registrar.mw/index.php/domain-registration/second-level-domains
- University of Malawi : https://www.unima.mw/
- Ministry of Health Malawi : https://www.health.gov.mw/index.php/diseases/hiv-and-aids
- “Hands-on: Domain Name System” : https://www.nsrc.org/workshops/2016/bixp/downloads/dns-handson.pdf
- Malawi’s Country code : https://www.iban.com/country-codes.
