Nauru, The World's 3rd-smallest Country, Changes Its Name To Naoero

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — The Pacific Island state of Nauru has changed its sanction to nan Republic of Naoero, its president said, matching nan pronunciation and pronunciation successful nan nationalist language.

The country’s world codification will alteration from NRU to NRO and its group will beryllium known arsenic dei-Naoero alternatively of Nauruan. Commonly known overseas by nan pronunciation of Now-roo, nan caller sanction is spoken arsenic Now-ero.

The move would return nan distant South Pacific land federation to its accepted name, a connection posted Thursday to nan government’s Facebook relationship said.

The state became known internationally arsenic Nauru only because its section sanction was difficult for foreigners to pronounce and was a matter of convenience alternatively than 1 of choice, according to an earlier authorities statement.

“This projected alteration seeks to much faithfully grant our nation’s heritage, our language, and our identity,” President David Adeang said erstwhile he projected nan move to Parliament successful January.

With 12,000 residents, Nauru is nan world’s third-smallest state by organization size, aft Tuvalu and Vatican City. The mini coral limestone atoll was colonized by Germany and later administered by Australia earlier becoming an independent republic successful 1968.

With nan take of nan sanction Naoero, nan state becomes nan latest federation to awesome a displacement distant from a assemblage past by changing its name.

The mini African kingdom of Eswatini reverted to its historical sanction from Swaziland successful 2018. Other countries person sought nan move arsenic a benignant of rebrand, arsenic Turkey did erstwhile Ankara asked nan United Nations successful 2022 to statesman calling nan state Türkiye, which nan federation had agelong gone by astatine home.

Graham-McLay writes for nan Associated Press.