What is .bw?
A little context on Botswana: the capital is Gaborone, languages include English and Tswana, the currency is the Botswana pula (BWP) and the international dialing code is +267. It's landlocked.
Botswana shares land borders with 4 countries, so the ccTLDs next door are .na (Namibia), .za (South Africa), .zm (Zambia) and .zw (Zimbabwe).
IANA lists Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) as the manager of .bw, with an address in Botswana. The registry's website is http://nic.net.bw. ccTLD managers set their own policies — who can register, which second-level names exist, pricing to registrars — so those rules differ from country to country.
On the technical side, .bw is served by 4 authoritative name servers, 2 of them reachable over IPv6. It is also DNSSEC-signed: the root zone carries a DS record for .bw, which lets validating resolvers check its answers cryptographically. Registration data is published over WHOIS (the WHOIS server is whois.nic.net.bw).
.bw FAQ
What country is .bw?
.bw is the country-code top-level domain for Botswana, in Southern Africa.
What is Botswana's domain extension?
Botswana's website extension is .bw, its country-code top-level domain. "BW" is its ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code.
Who owns the .bw domain?
IANA lists Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) as the manager of .bw: it runs the registry and sets the rules for Botswana's ccTLD. Individual .bw names belong to whoever registers them.
Can I register a .bw domain from the US?
It depends on Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA)'s policy. Some ccTLDs are open to anyone in the world, while others require a local address, company or trademark. Check the registry (http://nic.net.bw) or an accredited registrar before you buy.
Is .bw DNSSEC-signed?
Yes. The root zone has a DS record for .bw, so DNSSEC validation works all the way down from the root.
How do I look up who owns a .bw domain?
Query the registry's registration data service: the WHOIS server is whois.nic.net.bw. Many registrants use privacy services, so personal details may be hidden.
Sources
Data from IANA root zone version 2026102000. Last changed May 24, 2024. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
