Although the DNS root zone is constantly replenished by new generic domains, there are also precedents of opposite character from time to time. So, it was announced that the .AN domain will be retired since July 31. This national domain was delegated to the Netherlands Antilles territories, a former Dutch colony. It included Sint Maarten, Curaçao, and Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba. However all of them gained full or partial independence in 2010.
Respectively, new national domains were delegated by the ICANN: .SX is for Sint Maarten, .CW – for Curaçao, and .BQ – for Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba. Speaking more precisely, only the first two are delegated so far, the issue with delegation of the third should be resolved soon. Thus, there’s no need in the .AN domain. According to ICANN, there are only about two tens domains in the .AN zone at the moment.
Earlier ICANN had already made a decision to remove from the DNS root zone the other national domain - .TP. It was granted to Portuguese Timor, but after gaining of independence the state changed the name to East Timor or Timor Leste and received the new national domain - .TL.
