Berlin has become the first city in the world to have its own internet domain name.
Companies and individuals in German can now request web addresses ending in .berlin as alternatives to the more traditional .com, or the German national suffix .de.
Addresses will be granted on a first come, first served basis, with the cost of about €50 a year.
Dirk Krischenowski, of dotBerlin, the company organising the rollout of the new domain name, said it created "more room for diversity, ideas and the naming" of things.
Several dozen other large cities are in the process of equipping themselves with internet domain names including .paris, .nyc, .london and .roma. Other German city domains such as .hamburg and .koeln are also set to be launched.
