The domain is the end-part of the web site address. Most U.S.-based web sites use the following domains: .com, .org, .edu, and .gov. But what do they mean?
Think about domains: Compare Weather.com with Weather.gov. Both happen to be trusted web sites with good information. Weather.com is from the popular and well-known Weather Channel, while Weather.gov is from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a government agency.
The following is a description of the most popular internet domains:
.com = commercial entity, business
Examples:
CNN: http://www.cnn.com/ - Note: many media outlets end in .com
Dunkin' Donuts: http://www.dunkindonuts.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/
Segway: http://www.segway.com/
.org = organization, or non-profit
Examples:
American Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: http://www.mfa.org/
United Nations: http://www.un.org/
.edu = educational institution, mostly colleges and universities
Examples:
Southern New Hampshire University: http://www.snhu.edu/
Smithsonian Institution: http://www.si.edu/
.gov = Government agency or department
Examples:
Federal Communications Commision: http://fcc.gov/
NH.gov (official New Hampshire government web site): http://www.nh.gov/
U.S. Senate: http://www.senate.gov/
The White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov/
Geographic domains
Web sites based in particular countries may use a country code as part of their domain. Here are some examples:
.au = Australia | .ca = Canada | .cn = China
.de = Germany (Deutschland) | .fr = France | .in = India
.jp = Japan | .mx = Mexico | .uk = United Kingdom | .us = United States
Examples:
BBC News (British Broadcasting Corp.): http://news.bbc.co.uk
Louvre Museum (Musee de Louvre): http://www.louvre.fr/
Official Site of the Government of Mexico (Sitio Oficial del Gobierno de Mexico): http://www.gob.mx
University of Toronto: http://www.utoronto.ca/
Other domains:
.biz = commercial entity, business
.int =international organizations (although many use .org instead)
.mil = U.S. military web sites
.mobi = mobile web sites designed for web-enabled smartphones (e.g., an iPhone, or BlackBerry)
.net = stands for "network," but open to any web site. Some business/commercial sites use this.
Examples:
Strange Brew Tavern (Manchester, NH): http://www.strangebrewtavern.net/
United States Navy: http://www.navy.mil/
1) You can find the Advanced search feature on a Google results page.
2) If you're interested in how All Souls' Day is celebrated in South America but NOT Mexico, with those words in the title of the page, and with the page published by an educational institution (like a college or university) search like you see below:
Your results:
