Nauru, the world’s smallest republic, may soon make a big change: renaming itself “Naoero”.
The switch would “more faithfully honour our nation’s heritage, language, and identity”, said the president of the Pacific microstate, David Adeang, in a speech to parliament in January.
After Nauru’s parliament passed the proposal unopposed, the island – with an estimated population of 13,000 – will vote in a referendum on whether to make the change official.
“Naoero” – pronounced Now-ero – is the term Nauruans use in their own language. “Nauru” – commonly pronounced Now-roo – became the island’s official name because its Indigenous name “could not be properly pronounced by foreign tongues”, the government said, adding it was “changed not by our choice, but for convenience”.
The remote island country – located about 1,800 miles (3,000km) north-east of Australia – has a history of name changes.
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