World News
NAURU OFFICIALLY CHANGES ITS NAME TO NAOERO
The Pacific island nation formerly known as Nauru has officially changed its name to the Republic of Naoero, restoring the traditional name used in th...
By Patience
President David Adeang announced the change after Parliament approved a constitutional amendment to rename the country. The government subsequently decided that a planned national referendum on the change was not necessary.
The country's abbreviated name is now Naoero, while its citizens will be known as dei-Naoero. Its international country code is also being changed from NRU to NRO.
PARLIAMENT APPROVED THE NAME CHANGE
The process began earlier in 2026 when President Adeang proposed changing the country's official name from Nauru to Naoero.
Parliament later approved the constitutional amendment in May following the required legislative process. A referendum was initially expected to follow because the change involved the country's Constitution.
However, the government later announced that the referendum would not proceed. It said the decision followed discussions about the fact that Naoero was not a new identity being introduced to the population, but a name already used within the country and represented on its national coat of arms.
WHY THE COUNTRY IS RETURNING TO NAOERO
The change is intended to restore the country's traditional name and place greater emphasis on its language, heritage and national identity.
Naoero is the name used in the country's national language, while the internationally recognised name Nauru emerged during the period of European contact and colonial rule.
President Adeang has described the change as an effort to preserve the country's heritage and strengthen the connection between its present identity and its history.
THE UNITED NATIONS NOW RECOGNISES NAOERO
The name change is also being reflected internationally.
The United Nations' geographic terminology database lists NAOERO as the preferred term and records NAURU as the former name. The UN says the change became effective on June 26, 2026.
The government has also notified international organisations and other countries about the change as the transition to the new name continues.
A SMALL PACIFIC NATION WITH A NEW OFFICIAL NAME
Naoero is one of the world's smallest independent countries, with a population of about 12,000 people.
The island became independent in 1968 after periods of German and later Australian administration. Its economy was historically shaped by phosphate mining, which generated substantial revenue before the industry's decline created major economic difficulties.
Today, the country remains a small island state in the central Pacific, where issues including economic development and the effects of rising sea levels remain important national concerns.
FROM NAURU TO NAOERO
The adoption of the Republic of Naoero marks a formal return to the country's traditional name.
With the new designation now reflected in domestic and international records, the government is moving to replace Nauru with Naoero across official uses and international references.