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, a move President David Adeang stated is intended to more faithfully honor the country's heritage, language, and identity.

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This proposed change seeks to more faithfully honor our nation’s heritage, our language, and our identity.

The name change aligns the nation's international designation with its traditional spelling and pronunciation in the Nauruan language. The country's international code will shift from NRU to NRO, and its people will be known as dei-Naoero instead of Nauruan. While commonly pronounced 'Now-roo' abroad, the new name is spoken as 'Now-ero.' This decision returns the remote South Pacific island nation to its traditional name, which was previously altered for foreign pronunciation convenience.

President Adeang proposed the constitutional amendment in January, and it has since been endorsed by lawmakers in two rounds of voting. Although the formal amendment process details were not immediately clear, the government stated that after extensive discussions, a public referendum was deemed unnecessary. The government emphasized that the name Naoero has always been part of the people's identity, present on the national coat of arms and spoken within the community, and is permitted by the Constitution.

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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.

Nauru, with 12,000 residents, is the world's third-smallest country by population, following Tuvalu and Vatican City. The island nation, which gained independence in 1968, has experienced significant economic fluctuations, from immense wealth generated by phosphate mining in the 1970s to near economic ruin in the 1990s. Currently, Nauru is highly vulnerable to rising sea levels due to climate change, prompting the government to seek overseas investment through a paid citizenship program to fund potential relocation of people and infrastructure.

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The designation “is already the identity of the people, is on the national coat of arms, and spoken in the community; and importantly is allowed by the Constitution.

This name change follows a trend of countries reverting to traditional names to signify a break from colonial pasts, similar to Eswatini's name change from Swaziland in 2018. The shift will necessitate renaming Nauru's national aircraft and ships, and the government is actively seeking recognition of the change from other countries and international institutions. President Adeang described the name change as "the beginning of renewed national pride."

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This is the beginning of renewed national pride.