A ccTLD, or country code top-level domain, is an internet top-level domain generally used or reserved for a country, a sovereign state, or a dependent territory. All ASCII ccTLD identifiers are two letters long, and all two-letter top-level domains are ccTLDs.
In the domain name system (DNS) hierarchy, ccTLDs appear as the highest level of domain for specific countries or regions. Examples include “.us” for the United States, “.uk” for the United Kingdom, “.ca” for Canada, “.au” for Australia, and so on.
While primarily intended for use by entities within the corresponding territories, some ccTLDs have been marketed worldwide for various purposes. For example, “.tv” (Tuvalu), “.me” (Montenegro), and “.co” (Colombia) are used by entities that aren’t necessarily based in those countries because the ccTLDs correspond to common words or abbreviations in English.
It’s important to note that each ccTLD has its own set of rules and policies determined by the respective country’s designated registry. These may include restrictions on who can register a domain, privacy regulations, pricing, etc.