WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Nauru, a Pacific Island nation, has officially changed its name to the Republic of Naoero. This renaming aligns with the spelling and pronunciation in the country’s native language.
The international code for the country will transition from NRU to NRO. Citizens will be referred to as dei-Naoero, replacing the previous term, Nauruan. While the nation was globally recognized as Now-roo, the revised name is pronounced as Now-ero.
A government statement emphasized that the original name, Naoero, was altered for international convenience due to pronunciation challenges, rather than preference. President David Adeang highlighted the intention to honor the nation’s heritage and identity with this change. He advocated for the amendment in Parliament back in January, aiming to incorporate it into the constitution.
At just 12,000 residents, Nauru is the third-smallest country by population size, following Tuvalu and Vatican City. Historically, it was colonized by Germany and later governed by Australia before achieving independence in 1968. The island, a coral limestone atoll, experienced economic prosperity during the 1970s due to phosphate mining. However, the industry’s collapse in the 1990s led to severe economic difficulties.
Currently, Naoero is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and rising sea levels. The government has initiated a citizenship program to attract foreign investment to fund relocating its people and infrastructure.
President Adeang stated that the name change represents renewed national pride. After consulting extensively, the government decided a referendum was unnecessary. According to a statement, the name Naoero has always been part of the community identity and constitution.
This move reflects an ongoing trend among countries revisiting their colonial history through renaming. In 2018, Eswatini in Africa reverted to its historical identity from Swaziland. Similarly, Turkey chose to be referred to as Türkiye in international contexts in 2022.
Following the name change, the national aircraft and ships will also be rebranded. Furthermore, efforts are being made to obtain international recognition for Naoero. The United Nations’ website already displays the new name, following the government’s request in June. Australia, New Zealand, and embassies in the region recognize the country as Naoero on their platforms.
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