Nauru officially renames itself to Naoero, restoring its traditional name
Consensus Summary
Nauru officially renamed itself to the Republic of Naoero in May, restoring its traditional name and adjusting its international code from NRU to NRO. The move, proposed by President David Adeang in January, was approved by parliament without a referendum, as the name was already widely used in the community and permitted by the constitution. Both sources agree the change aims to honor the country’s heritage, language, and identity, following similar renamings by Eswatini and Turkey. The United Nations was notified of the change in June, and the government emphasized the shift as a symbol of renewed national pride. Nauru’s history includes colonization by Germany, administration by Australia, and economic struggles tied to phosphate mining in the 1970s and 1990s. The Guardian also notes the country’s climate vulnerability and its paid citizenship programme to fund relocation efforts, while ABC highlights the constitutional amendment process, including a 90-day review period and certification on May 13.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Nauru officially changed its name to the Republic of Naoero, with the international code changing from NRU to NRO and its people now called dei-Naoero instead of Nauruan
- The name change was proposed by President David Adeang in January and approved by parliament in May without a referendum
- The government cited the name change as a move to 'more faithfully honour our nation’s heritage, our language, and our identity'
- The name Naoero is already used on the national coat of arms and spoken in the community, and the constitution allows the change
- The United Nations was informed of the name change to Republic of Naoero in June
- Nauru became independent in 1968 after being colonized by Germany and administered by Australia
- The country faced economic turmoil in the 1970s and 1990s due to phosphate mining collapse
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The name change was announced as the 'beginning of renewed national pride' in last week’s statement, with the government seeking overseas investment through a paid citizenship programme to address climate risks
- The move follows similar renamings by Eswatini (from Swaziland in 2018) and Turkey (to Türkiye in 2022)
- The country is the world’s third-smallest by population size, with 12,000 residents
- The constitutional amendment was certified by Speaker Marcus Stephen on May 13 after a 90-day layover period following the January proposal
- President Adeang delivered an opening message to parliament on July 20 addressing the name change decision
- The story was first published on rnz.co.nz
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian states the name change was approved in 'two rounds of voting' by lawmakers, while ABC does not mention the number of rounds but confirms a unanimous vote in May
- The Guardian mentions a 'referendum to confirm it' was announced in May but later dropped, while ABC states a referendum was 'expected to follow' but was not held due to the name already being the community’s identity
Source Articles
Nauru officially changes its name to Naoero
Pacific nation is latest country to signal a shift away from its colonial past with return to its traditional name The Pacific Island country of Nauru has changed its name to the Republic of Naoero, its president said, matching the spelling and pronunciation in the national language. The country’s international code will change from NRU to NRO and its people will be known as dei-Naoero instead of Nauruan. Commonly known abroad by the pronunciation of Now-roo, the new name is spoken as Now-ero. C
Nauru officially changes name to Naoero
Nauru has officially changed its name to Naoero, the government has announced.