Nauru, the world's 3rd-smallest country, changes its name to Naoero

The Pacific island nation of Nauru has officially changed its name to the Republic of Naoero, adopting the traditional spelling and pronunciation used in its national language.

President David Adeang announced the change, saying it restores the country's original name and better reflects its heritage, language and identity.

The country's international code will also change from NRU to NRO, while its citizens will now be known as dei-Naoero instead of Nauruans. The new name is pronounced "Now-ero", replacing the widely used English pronunciation "Now-roo".

In a statement posted on the government's Facebook page, the administration said the change restores the South Pacific nation's traditional identity. It noted that the name "Nauru" became internationally recognised primarily because the local name was considered difficult for foreigners to pronounce.

"This proposed change seeks to more faithfully honour our nation's heritage, our language, and our identity," Adeang told Parliament when introducing the constitutional amendment in January.

Lawmakers approved the amendment in the required two rounds of voting, although it was not immediately clear whether the Constitution had been formally updated.

Home to about 12,000 people, Naoero is the world's third-smallest country by population after Tuvalu and the Vatican City. The coral atoll was colonised by Germany before being administered by Australia and gained independence in 1968.

The island experienced enormous wealth during the 1970s from phosphate mining, but the collapse of the industry in the 1990s pushed the country to the brink of economic ruin.

Today, Naoero is among the countries most vulnerable to rising sea levels caused by climate change. The government has introduced a paid citizenship programme aimed at attracting foreign investment to help relocate communities and infrastructure threatened by the encroaching ocean.

Adeang described the renaming as "the beginning of renewed national pride".

Although the government had announced plans for a referendum after Parliament first endorsed the proposal in May, it later decided a public vote was unnecessary following what it described as extensive discussions.

"While a referendum is intended to determine the will of the people, the name Naoero has never been lost, but rather waiting to be fully embraced," the government said.

It added that the designation already appears on the national coat of arms, is widely used by local communities and is recognised under the Constitution.

Naoero joins a growing list of countries seeking to shed colonial-era names or adopt names reflecting their native identity. Eswatini changed its name from Swaziland in 2018, while Turkey successfully requested the United Nations to use the name Türkiye in 2022.

The change will require the renaming of the country's aircraft and ships. The government said it is also seeking recognition of the new name from other countries and international organisations.

The United Nations has already updated its records to reflect the change after receiving the government's request in June. Australia and New Zealand's foreign ministries, along with the US and Chinese embassies in the region, have also begun referring to the country as Naoero on their official websites.