Internationalization, often abbreviated as i18n (where 'i' and 'n' are the first and last letters of the word, and 18 is the number of letters between them), refers to the process of designing and developing software, websites, or applications so they can be easily adapted for different languages, regions, and cultures. The related process, localization (l10n), involves adapting a product for a specific locale. Core aspects of i18n typically involve externalizing strings, formatting dates/times/currencies, handling plurals, supporting text direction, etc., forming the technical foundation for creating global products.