2.2.5.1.1 Internet use

Of the ICANN-defined geographic regions, North America has the largest number of Internet users. North America's user population dates back to the early days of the Internet's development and it has grown over time. Of an estimated 407.1 million Internet users worldwide in November 2000, 167.12 million of them (41.1%) were in the United States and Canada (see Appendix 1).

Per-capita Internet penetration is high throughout North America. By January 2001, over 60 percent of the United States population had access to the Internet from either home or work, according to Nielsen/Netratings. Canada, while having far fewer total users than the U.S. (along with a much smaller population), still maintains a high penetration rate at approximately 42 percent (as of 1999; source: Statistics Canada).

Although Internet users' awareness of Internet issues (such as Internet governance, domain name dispute resolution, etc.) in both the United States and Canada continues to increase, it has not necessarily kept pace with the rapid explosion in Internet usage. While the North American community of Internet users has grown at a near-exponential rate over the past several years, many new users are still becoming attuned to issues of Internet administration such as those before ICANN.

Even so, North America has a significant population of technically savvy Internet users with experience and interest in ICANN's activities. This population has its roots in the programming and engineering communities, as well as an emerging broader community of interested companies, policymakers, and consumers.

For those outside this intrinsically interested community, there have been only limited efforts to foster an interest in ICANN.

2.2.5 North America

2.2.5.1.2 Electoral systems and traditions