Shaking Off Colonialism: One of the World's Smallest Countries Changes Its Name

Nauru, the small island nation in the Pacific Ocean, has announced a name change to the Republic of Naoero, in line with the local spelling. The international code will change from NRU to NRO, and residents will be called Dei-Naoero. President David Adeang said the move aims to honor heritage and language, and noted it symbolizes a revival of national pride. The country, with 12,000 residents, is the third smallest in the world and faces the threat of rising sea levels.

Nauru, one of the smallest countries in the world, has announced a name change to the Republic of Naoero, aiming to shed its colonial past. President David Adeang presented the proposal to parliament in January, and this week confirmed that the new name matches the spelling and pronunciation in the official language. Following the change, the country's international code will be switched from NRU to NRO, and its residents will be called Dei-Naoero instead of Nauruans. According to a government statement, the previous name was set only because foreigners found the original name difficult to pronounce. Adeang said the change is meant to honor heritage, language, and identity, and noted that it symbolizes a revival of national pride. Nauru has 12,000 residents and is the third smallest country in the world by population, after Tuvalu and Vatican City. The island was a German colony and later under Australian control, gaining independence in 1968. Today it is threatened by rising sea levels, and the government is trying to raise money to relocate people and infrastructure through a gold visa program. Last month, it announced the opening of an embassy in Jerusalem. Nauru joins countries like Swaziland, which changed its name to Eswatini in 2018.