.br

Infobox Top level domain
name=.br
background=#CCF


introduced=1989
type=Country code top-level domain
status=Active
registry=Registro .br
sponsor=Comitê Gestor da Internet no Brasil
intendeduse=Entities connected with
flag|Brazil
actualuse=Very popular in Brazil (Largest Portuguese language Web presence)
restrictions=Varying restrictions based on which second-level name registration is within
structure=Registrations are at third level beneath various categories and they were allowed at the second level for institutions of third level education until 2000; a wide variety of second-level categories exist, but .com.br is still much more popular than others
document=
disputepolicy=
website= [http://registro.br/ Registro.br] |

.br is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Brazil. It was administered by the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (Comitê Gestor da Internet no Brasil) until 2005 and now it's administered by Brazilian Network Information Center (Núcleo de Informação e Coordenação do Ponto br). A local contact is required for any registration. Registrations of domain names with Portuguese characters are also accepted.

With the exception of universities, the second-level domain is fixed and selected from a list that defines the category. For example, site.art.br is in the art (music, folklore "etc.") category, and site.org.br is in the non-governmental organization category. Institutions of tertiary education were allowed to use the ccSLD .edu.br, although some use .com.br and others (mainly public universities) use .br. There are also some other few exceptions that were allowed to use the second level domain until the end of 2000. As of February 2007, most domain registrations ignore categories and register in the .com.br domain, which has over 90% of all registered domains. The .jus.br (Judiciary) domain has mandatory DNSSEC use.

.br is the most common Portuguese language Web site suffixAs of July 27, 2008, Google showed 401.000.000 pages for [http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3A.br site:.br] , 91.100.000 for [http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3A.pt site:.pt] (Portugal) and 179.000 for [http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3A.ao site:.ao] (Angola). [http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3A.com&lr=lang_pt Portuguese pages] in the .com domain were 256.000.000.] , surpassing all other portuguese-speaking countries' TLDs as well as .com in popularity.

econd level domains

* ADM.BR - Administrators
* ADV.BR - Lawyers
* AGR.BR - Agriculture-related companies and/or websites
* AM.BR - AM radio companies, licenced by the Brazilian Communications Ministry
* ARQ.BR - Architecture
* ART.BR - Art: music, folklore, etc.
* ATO.BR - Actors
* BIO.BR - Biologists
* BLOG.BR - Blogs
* BMD.BR - Biomedics
* CIM.BR - Brokers
* CNG.BR - Scenographers
* CNT.BR - Accountants
* COM.BR - Commercial websites in general
* COOP.BR - Cooperatives
* ECN.BR - Economy
* EDU.BR - Higher education institutions
* ENG.BR - Engineers
* ESP.BR - Sports
* ETC.BR - Entities that do not fit in previous categories
* ETI.BR - I.T. Specialists
* FAR.BR - Pharmacies and drugstores
* FLOG.BR - Photologs
* FM.BR - FM radio companies, licenced by the Brazilian Communications Ministry
* FND.BR - Phonoaudiologists
* FOT.BR - Photographers
* FST.BR - Physiotherapists
* G12.BR - K12 education institutions
* GGF.BR - Geographers
* GOV.BR - Government entities
* IMB.BR - Real estate
* IND.BR - Industries
* INF.BR - Media and information
* JOR.BR - Journalists
* JUS.BR - Brazilian Judiciary Branch of the State.
* LEL.BR - Auctioneers
* MAT.BR - Mathematicians and Statisticians
* MED.BR - Medics
* MIL.BR - Brazilian Armed Forces
* MUS.BR - Musicians
* NET.BR - Exclusively for providers of physical communication means, legally habilitated for the prestation of public telecommunication services
* NOM.BR - People
* NOT.BR - Notaries
* NTR.BR - Nutritionists
* ODO.BR - Dentists
* ORG.BR - Non-profit non-governmental entities
* PPG.BR - Publicity specialists and Marketeers
* PRO.BR - Teachers
* PSC.BR - Psychologists
* PSI.BR - Online service providers
* QSL.BR - Radio amateurs
* REC.BR - Recreational activities, entertainment, leisure, games, etc.
* SLG.BR - Sociologists
* SRV.BR - Services providers
* TMP.BR - Temporary events, such as fairs and exhibitions
* TRD.BR - Translators
* TUR.BR - Tourism
* TV.BR - Sound and image broadcasters, licenced by the Brazilian Communications Ministry
* VET.BR - Veterinarians
* VLOG.BR - Videologs
* WIKI.BR - Wikis
* ZLG.BR - Zoologists

References

External links

* [http://www.iana.org/root-whois/br.htm IANA .br whois information]
* [http://www.registro.br Registro.br]
* [http://www.registro.br/estatisticas.html Second-level domain statistics] for .br
* NameAction ( [http://www.nameaction.net website] ) Local Presence for foreign registrants-to-be of "com.br" domains.
* [http://www.marcaria.com/absolutenm/templates/?a=175&z=474 Rules for .BR domain registration]