You are connecting from Lake Geneva Public Library, please login or register to take advantage of your institution's Ground News Plan.
Published 5 days ago • loading... • Updated 4 days ago
Nauru Renames Itself Naoero, Changes Country Code at UN
President David Adeang said the name change affirms the island nation’s heritage as its international code shifts from NRU to NRO.
On Tuesday, David Adeang announced at the United Nations in New York that the South Pacific island nation of Nauru is officially renaming itself Naoero to honor its heritage and ancestral roots.
Adeang explained the shift is an effort to "affirm a truth," noting that Nauru was merely how the world heard the name, while Naoero carries the memory of the nation's language and identity.
The nation, an eight-square-mile island with about 12,000 people, is updating its international code from NRU to NRO, while its people will be known by their ancestral name instead of Nauruan.
This renaming follows historical precedents where nations like Siam became Thailand, Swaziland became Eswatini, and Turkey requested the United Nations use the spelling Turkiye to shed foreign labels and foster ethnic unity.
Such efforts reflect a broader global trend of countries reclaiming their indigenous names, as Adeang concluded his address to the General Assembly by calling on the world to "Say our name.
With an energetic and proud voice, a leader stood before the largest gathering of world leaders on behalf of his nation and announced that he had something important to say.