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    • .aq

    Country-code top-level domains

    Overview

    • .aq is the country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) assigned to Antarctica. The letters "aq" derive from the French name "Antarctique".
    • It is intended for organizations and entities connected with Antarctica and the Southern Ocean region.
    • Administration: managed by Antarctica Network Information Centre Limited and administered by Peter Mott (based in Christchurch, New Zealand). The registry entry also lists Swizzle Limited and the sponsor Mott and Associates.

    History

    • Introduced on February 26, 1992.
    • The domain has been operated by the Antarctica Network Information Centre Limited, with administration associated with Peter Mott.
    • The registry does not maintain a public website or WHOIS service; registrations are handled by direct contact with the registry.

    Usage and Audience

    • Typical users:
      • Scientific stations and research projects operating in Antarctica.
      • Governmental organizations that are signatories to the Antarctic Treaty.
    • Actual use includes scientific and research entities; the TLD has seen occasional use for government sites associated with the Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands.

    Registration Rules

    • Eligibility:
      • Registrants must have a physical presence in Antarctica, or be a governmental organization that is a signatory to the Antarctic Treaty.
      • "Physical presence" can include unattended installations owned or operated by the registrant, or short-term visits to the ice by registrant staff, in which case a letter signed by the officer in charge of the base or expedition is required.
    • Structure and limits:
      • Registrations are taken at the second level.
      • As a general rule, registrants are allocated a single .aq domain name.
    • Cost and term:
      • Domain names are available free of charge.
      • Registration is granted for a period of 24 months.
    • Process and policies:
      • Registration is performed by contacting the Antarctica Network Information Centre Limited directly (the registry does not maintain a public registration website).
      • Dispute policy: None specified by the registry.

    Notable Cases or Examples

    • .aq is used by several Antarctic scientific stations and projects.
    • The TLD has also been used, in some cases, for government-related sites connected to the Heard Island and McDonald Islands territory.

    Operator

    Antarctica Network Information Centre Limited

    Whois

    % IANA WHOIS server
% for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org
% This query returned 1 object

domain:       AQ

organisation: Antarctica Network Information Centre Limited
address:      40 Cameo Grove
address:      Marshland
address:      Christchurch 8083
address:      New Zealand

contact:      administrative
name:         Peter Mott
organisation: Antarctica Network Information Centre Limited
address:      40 Cameo Grove
address:      Marshland
address:      Christchurch 8083
address:      New Zealand
phone:        +64 21 279 4995
e-mail:       info@icenic.aq

contact:      technical
name:         IANA Administrator
organisation: InternetNZ
address:      Level 11
address:      80 Boulcott Street
address:      Wellington Central
address:      Wellington 6011
address:      New Zealand
phone:        +64 4 472 1600
e-mail:       ianatech@internetnz.net.nz

nserver:      FORK.STH.DNSNODE.NET 2a01:3f0:0:306:0:0:0:53 77.72.229.254
nserver:      NS1.ANYCAST.DNS.AQ 2001:500:14:6132:ad:0:0:1 204.61.216.132
nserver:      NS99.DNS.NET.NZ 2001:dce:2000:2:0:0:0:131 202.46.190.131

whois:        

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information: 

created:      1992-02-26
changed:      2025-01-21
source:       IANA

    Registrars