5 regional Internet registries

All five RIRs are united by joining the collective Digital Resources Organization (NRO). However, they also operate separately as follows:

• The Africa Network Information Center (AfriNIC)  manages IP addresses for the African continent.
• The American Registry of Internet Numbers (ARIN)  manages IP addresses for Canada, the United States, and many Caribbean and North Atlantic islands. Looking up the ARIN IP address or the ARIN WHOIS lookup tool will return results for this database.
• The Asia-Pacific Network Information Center (APNIC)  manages IP addresses for Asia, Australia and neighboring countries. Technically, this is the second RIR established after RIPE NCC.
• The Latin America and Caribbean Network Information Center (LACNIC)  manages IP addresses for Latin America and parts of the Caribbean.
• The Réseaux IP Européens Network Coordination Center (RIPE NCC)  manages IP addresses for Europe, the Middle East and the former Soviet Union. This registry is considered the first established registry.