Pacific Island Nation Nauru Officially Renames Itself Republic of Naoero
By Admin, Lagos
The Pacific island nation formerly known as Nauru has officially adopted the name Republic of Naoero, marking a significant step toward reclaiming its cultural identity and indigenous heritage.
President David Adeang announced the change, explaining that the new official name reflects the country’s traditional spelling and pronunciation in the local language.
As part of the transition, the country’s international code will change from NRU to NRO, while its citizens will now be referred to as dei-Naoero, replacing the previous designation of Nauruan.
The pronunciation of the country’s name has also been updated. Instead of the internationally familiar “Now-roo,” the official pronunciation will now be “Now-ero.”
According to a statement published by the government, the decision restores the nation’s original identity after decades of using a name that was adopted largely for the convenience of foreign speakers.
“The previous international name was used because our indigenous name was considered difficult for foreigners to pronounce,” the government said, noting that the change reflects the country’s authentic linguistic and cultural roots.
Earlier this year, while presenting the proposal to Parliament, President Adeang said the renaming was intended to preserve the nation’s heritage.
“This proposed change seeks to faithfully honor our nation’s heritage, our language, and our identity,” Adeang told lawmakers.
The constitutional amendment backing the change received the required approval from Parliament through two rounds of voting, although authorities have yet to confirm when the amended document will formally take effect.
Home to about 12,000 people, the Republic of Naoero is the world’s third-smallest country by population, behind Tuvalu and Vatican City.
The remote coral island in the South Pacific was colonised by Germany before later coming under Australian administration. It gained independence in 1968 and experienced an economic boom during the 1970s through phosphate mining, which brought substantial wealth to the island.