The Pacific island nation formerly known as Nauru has officially adopted the name Republic of Naoero, aligning its international identity with the spelling and pronunciation used in its native language, President David Adeang has announced.
As part of the change, the country’s international code will switch from NRU to NRO, while its citizens will now be referred to as dei-Naoero instead of Nauruans. The pronunciation has also been revised, replacing the widely used “Now-roo” with “Now-ero.”
According to a statement published on the government’s Facebook page, the decision restores the country’s traditional name, which had long been altered for the convenience of foreigners who found the original name difficult to pronounce.
President Adeang first presented the proposal to Parliament in January, describing it as a step towards preserving the nation’s cultural heritage, language and identity. Lawmakers have since approved the constitutional amendment through the required two rounds of voting, although it was not immediately confirmed whether the amendment has been formally incorporated into the constitution.
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 coral atoll was once a German colony before coming under Australian administration and eventually gained independence in 1968. During the 1970s, extensive phosphate mining generated significant wealth for the island nation.
AP/NAN