With million dot-ca internet addresses registry now ranks seventeenth.

The Canadian Internet Registration Authority, today announced that Canadian Internet users have registered one million dot-ca Internet domain names. The registry states that as one of the most wired nations, Canadians continue to use the Internet for personal and business reasons in ever increasing numbers. It adds that reaching the one million dot-ca domain name milestone demonstrates Canada's strong Internet presence and the popularity of Canadian websites.

The registry described that the dot-ca domain name was established in 1987 by a group of volunteers at the University of British Columbia and transferred to CIRA in 2000. Further it states that in 1988 the first dot-ca domain name, upei.ca, was registered by the University of Prince Edward Island. Since then dot-ca domain name usage has grown at over 20% per year. This growth is remarkable considering that dot-ca domains are reserved exclusively for Canadians. "Dot-ca represents Canada on the Internet. A dot-ca domain name, website, or email address means you can be confident that you are dealing with a Canadian or Canadian business online," says Byron Holland, President and CEO of CIRA.

In addition it also declared that Dot-ca now ranks as the seventeenth largest Internet domain name registry when compared to generic domain names like dot-com and country specific domain names like dot-uk. "The registration of over one million dot-ca domains is a testament to the great work being done by CIRA. On behalf of the entire ICANN community, congratulations," said Dr. Paul Twomey, President and CEO of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, the global organization that governs Internet domain names.