Pacific nation Nauru seeks to shed colonial-era name

The Pacific island nation of Nauru is planning to hold a referendum on changing its official name as part of an effort to move away from its colonial legacy.

President David Adeang said the country intends to adopt the name Naoero, stating that the change would “more accurately honour the heritage of our nation, our language and our identity.”

According to the government, the current name “Nauru” originated because “Naoero” was considered difficult for foreigners to pronounce.

“This change did not occur by our choice, but for convenience,” the authorities said.

The proposed name reflects the country’s linguistic heritage. The local language, Dorerin Naoero, is spoken by the majority of Nauru’s roughly 10,000 residents.

Officials said the renaming would have wide-ranging implications, affecting all aspects of state identity, from aircraft and ships to international representation, including at the United Nations, as well as official documents and national symbols.

Because the change requires constitutional amendments, the government plans to put the issue to a national referendum.

Nauru, one of the world’s smallest countries with an area of about 20 square kilometres, has a complex colonial history. It was under German control from 1888 until the First World War, after which Australian forces took the island. It was later administered jointly by Australia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand before gaining independence in 1968.

The country was once among the wealthiest in the world on a per capita basis due to its rich phosphate deposits. However, these resources have been largely depleted, and decades of mining have rendered around 80% of its land uninhabitable.

By Tamilla Hasanova