A Short History of Country-Code Domains

Updated October 2026

Four decades of country-code domains, from the first two-letter endings to local scripts and retired codes.

Timeline

1985	The first country-code domains are added to the DNS, around the same time as .com. .us, .uk and .il are among the earliest.
1994	RFC 1591, written by Jon Postel, sets out how country-code domains should be delegated and managed, and confirms the use of the ISO 3166 list.
1998	ICANN is founded to coordinate the domain name system.
2001	.zr (Zaire) is removed after being replaced by .cd.
2006	.eu opens for general registration.
2008	.me opens for general registration after Montenegro gains its own code.
2010	The first country codes in non-Latin scripts enter the root zone, including Russia's .рф. .yu (Yugoslavia) is removed.
2014	Names directly under .uk become available, alongside .co.uk.
2015	.tp (East Timor) and .an (Netherlands Antilles) are retired.
2016	Oversight of the IANA functions passes from the US government to the global internet community.
2022	Names directly under .au become available.
2023	Freenom stops new free registrations in .tk and other extensions.
2024–2026	The UK announces, then signs, a treaty to transfer the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, raising questions about .io. In 2026 the handover is paused.

For how retirements work, see retired country-code domains.

The complete guide to country-code top-level domains.

How country-code and generic extensions differ, and when each fits.

How .io, .ai, .tv and friends became words, and a tool to find your own.

A step-by-step method for picking the right ending.