why are some countries .com.xx and other countries co.xx

[NZ]

As you know the sites of some country end in .com.xx e.g. www.sites.com.au
and other countries .co.xx e.g. www.sites.co.nz

can some one tell me why this is?

and why american sites only end in .com?

 

[HamburgerBoy]

I don't have an answer to the rest of your questions, but...

Originally posted by: NZ
and why american sites only end in .com?

The USA pretty much made the internet and thus they get priority.

 

[Seekermeister]

Do you really think that all countries would agree on one system? However, with a different suffix, it allows for a greater number of links available, and I imagine that it makes routing connections easier. Not a very technical explaination, but that's the best I can do.

 

[Czar]

both the USA and UK made their own system before the international domain name standards were made, too stubborn to change at first, too expensive to change now

 

[NZ]

USA and UK's domain system isnt too bad. I doubt they would want to change.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: NZ
As you know the sites of some country end in .com.xx e.g. www.sites.com.au
and other countries .co.xx e.g. www.sites.co.nz

can some one tell me why this is?

and why american sites only end in .com?

Because that's what they decided to do.

There is a .us also.