.tv is the country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) for the island nation of Tuvalu. Except for reserved names like .com.tv, .net.tv, .org.tv and others, any person in the world can register a .tv domain for a fee, much of the income from which goes to the government and people of Tuvalu. The domain name is popular (and thus economically valuable) due to it being mnemonic for the word 'television' (other similar ccTLDs are .fm, .am, and .cd).

idealab!, United Nations, Taiwan

Leasing the right to use the .tv domain to an idealab! company [1] gave Tuvalu enough money to join the United Nations in 2000 [1]. This enabled Tuvalu to voice its support for its long-time diplomatic and economic ally, the Republic of China on Taiwan, in the United Nations class="external">[1. (See also China and the United Nations.)