Internationalization and localization are steps in the process of creating software or a website that can be used by people in different regions of the world, from different cultures, and speaking different languages.
Internationalization (often abbreviated as i18n) is the process of designing software or a website so that it can be easily localized for different languages, cultures, and regions.
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Process: Make sure that all user interface text is separate from the code, that dates, times, and other regional settings are properly handled, and that the software is designed to work with a wide range of character sets and other language-specific features.
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Goal: Make it easy to create localized versions of the software in the future, without having to make significant changes to the underlying code.
Localization (often abbreviated as l10n) is the process of translating software or a website into different languages and adapting it for use in different regions.
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Localization Translate all user interface text, adapting the software to work with local date and time formats, currencies, and other region-specific settings, and making any other necessary changes to make the software more appropriate for use in that region.
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Goal: Create a version of the software that is easy and natural for users in that region to use, even if they do not speak the same language as the original developers.
In short, internationalization is the process of making software ready for localization, while localization is the process of adapting software to work well in a particular region.