Reuters reported on July 31 that the Pacific island nation of Nauru officially changed its name to Naoero. The country stated that this move was to restore traditional local names, with the aim of strengthening national identity and preserving cultural heritage.
In May of this year, the Nauru Parliament passed a constitutional amendment to approve the name change. A referendum was originally planned as part of the process. However, Nauru’s President Adien announced on social media on the evening of the 29th that the referendum plan had been canceled.
He said, "After careful consideration, we have decided not to hold a referendum anymore. Naueiro is not a new country name that needs to be re-approved by the people. It is already a symbol of the nation's identity, engraved on the national emblem and used in everyday life among the people. Most importantly, the constitution itself recognizes this name."
According to reports, European colonists had difficulty pronouncing the local name “Nauero”, so they renamed the country “Nauru”. Nauru is the third smallest country in the world by area, only larger than the Vatican and Monaco. Its population is approximately 12,000 people. From the late 1880s until World War I, Germany designated Nauru as a protected territory. During World War I, the island was occupied by Australian troops. After that, it was jointly governed by Australia, Britain, and New Zealand until it officially gained independence in 1968.
Adien said that this renaming has nothing to do with political games. The core issue relates to national identity and cultural heritage. It is aimed at “protecting the spiritual legacy left by our ancestors and establishing a solid foundation for future generations.”
Nauru government has officially informed various international organizations and countries around the world about the name change. The transition process for the new name has now begun.
