The umbrella organization for the Regional Internet Registries (RIRs)ⁱ that handle IPⁱ Address allocation for different areas of the world. The American Registryⁱ for Internet Numbers (ARIN) is responsible for North America and a portion of the Caribbean. IP allocation for Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia is currently handled by RIPE (Reseaux IP Europeens). IP allocation for the Asia/Pacific region is currently handled by the Asia-Pacific Network Information Center (APNIC). IP allocation for Latin America and a portion of the Caribbean is handled by the Latin American and Caribbean Internet Addresses Registry (LACNIC). In the near future, IP allocation for Africa will be provided by the African Network Information Center (AfriNIC). (See http://www.nro.net/)