The name of the Pacific island nation of Nauru has been officially changed. From now on, the country’s new name is the Republic of Naoero. This change was made to align with the pronunciation and spelling used in the local language.
Naoero’s President, David Adeang, stated, “The country’s international identification code will also be changed. While citizens were previously referred to as ‘Nauruan,’ they will now be known as ‘Naoeroan’.”
The government stated that through this change, Naoero has reverted to its traditional name. The name “Nauru” had been used internationally for so long to make pronunciation easier for foreigners; however, to the local people, the country has always been known as “Naoero.”
“The government stated that through this change, Naoero has reverted to its traditional name. The name ‘Nauru’ had been used internationally for so long to make pronunciation easier for foreigners; however, to the local people, the country has always been known as ‘Naoero’.”
President Adeang proposed the name change in parliament in January of this year. He said, “This change will more appropriately honor our heritage, language, and national identity.” The proposal was subsequently approved following two rounds of voting.
Naoero has a population of only 12,000 people. In terms of population, it is the third-smallest country in the world, ranking behind only Tuvalu and Vatican City. Naoero was once a German colony and later came under Australian administration. The country gained independence in 1968.
In the 1970s, Naoero amassed immense wealth due to phosphate mining. However, the collapse of that industry plunged the country into a severe economic crisis in the 1990s.
Currently, Naoero is one of the countries most at risk from rising sea levels caused by climate change. Consequently, the government has planned to create a fund to relocate people and critical infrastructure to safer areas by attracting foreign investment in exchange for citizenship.
President Adeang stated that the name change marks the beginning of a new era of national pride. Although there were initial plans to hold a referendum on the matter, the government decided—following extensive discussions—that a referendum was unnecessary.
According to the government, the name “Nauru” never actually disappeared; it has long served as a marker of identity and a national symbol, and has been in use in the local language for ages. The name is also recognized in the constitution.
With this move, Nauru joins the list of nations that have shed their colonial-era identities to adopt traditional names. Previously, Swaziland changed its name to Eswatini in 2018, and Turkey began using the name “Türkiye” internationally in 2022.
The name change will also necessitate renaming the country’s national airline and vessels. The government of Nauru has already requested various countries and international organizations to recognize the new name. The country is already being referred to as “Nauru” on the official websites of the United Nations, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and China.
