World’s third-smallest country changes name

The Pacific Island country of Nauru has changed its name to the Republic of Naoero, its President, David Adeang, 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.

The pronunciation commonly known abroad as Now-roo, has been replaced and spoken as Now-ero.

The move would return the remote South Pacific island nation to its traditional name, according to a statement posted recently on the government’s Facebook account.

The country became known internationally as Nauru only because its local name was difficult for foreigners to pronounce and was a matter of convenience rather than one of choice, according to an earlier government statement.

In January when the president proposed the move to Parliament, he said “this proposed change seeks to faithfully honor our nation’s heritage, our language, and our identity.”

Meanwhile, the suggested constitutional amendment had been endorsed by lawmakers in the requisite two rounds of voting, though not immediately clear if the document had been formally amended.

With 12,000 residents, Nauru is the world’s third-smallest country by population size, after Tuvalu and Vatican City.

The tiny coral limestone atoll was colonised by Germany and later administered by Australia before becoming an independent republic in 1968.

It has faced tumultuous circumstances, with phosphate mining creating huge wealth on the island in the 1970s.
AP/NAN