Tiny Pacific Island Nation Nauru Reclaims Traditional Name Naoero

A fisherman is pictured at sunset at the northern end of the airport runway on the small nation island of Nauru, on April 15, 2010. Rod Henshaw/ReutersSYDNEY—The Pacific island nation of ‌Nauru has officially changed its name to the Republic of Naoero, ‌reverting to its traditional designation in ⁠a move it said was aimed at strengthening national identity and cultural heritage.Nauru’s parliament passed a ​constitutional amendment in May to rename the country, initially ⁠planning a national referendum. However, President David Adeang said in a social media post late on Wednesday that the referendum plans have been dropped.“The decision not to pursue a referendum was reached ‌after thoughtful ⁠deliberation that Naoero is not a new name seeking acceptance by ‌the people,” Adeang said.“It is already the identity of the people, is on the ​national coat of arms, and spoken in the community; ​and importantly is allowed by the ​constitution.”The abbreviated name will be “Naoero”, while citizens will be referred to as “dei-Naoero”.European colonisers ⁠changed the country’s name to Nauru after finding it difficult to pronounce the island’s native name Naoero. The nation is the ​world’s third-smallest after Vatican City ⁠and Monaco, with a population of about 12,000.Adeang ​said the decision was ​not ‌about politics but about identity, heritage, and “preserving the legacy of our ancestors and strengthening the future of ‌our children.”The government has formally notified international organisations and ⁠countries of the change, with the transition process already underway.