Regional Internet Registry

A regional Internet registry (RIR) is an organization that manages the allocation and registration of Internet number resources within a particular region of the world. Internet number resources include IP addresses and autonomous system (AS) numbers.

The Regional Internet Registry system evolved over time, eventually dividing the world into five RIRs:

• African Network Information Centre (AfriNIC) for Africa
• American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) for the United States, Canada, several parts of the Caribbean region, and Antarctica.
• Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC) for Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and neighboring countries
• Latin America and Caribbean Network Information Centre (LACNIC) for Latin America and parts of the Caribbean region
• Réseaux IP Européens Network Coordination Centre (RIPE NCC) for Europe, Russia, the Middle East, and Central Asia