Nauru, the world’s 3rd-smallest country, changes its name to Naoero

The move returns the remote South Pacific island nation to its traditional name, officials said, rather than a name that was easier for foreigners to pronounce.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — 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 pronounced Now-ero.

The move returns the remote South Pacific island nation to its traditional name, a statement posted Thursday to the government’s Facebook account said. 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.

“This proposed change seeks to more faithfully honor our nation’s heritage, our language and our identity,” President David Adeang said when he proposed the move to Parliament in January. The suggested constitutional amendment has been endorsed by lawmakers in the requisite two rounds of voting, though it was not immediately clear whether the document had been formally amended.

President David Adeang said the name change “seeks to more faithfully honor our nation’s heritage, our language and our identity.”Horacio Villalobos / Corbis via Getty Images fileWith 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 colonized by Germany and later administered by Australia before becoming an independent republic in 1968.