Nauru Rebrands as Republic of Naoero to Honor Indigenous Heritage
The Republic of Naoero is the new official name for the Pacific island nation formerly known as Nauru, with its citizens now referred to as dei-Naoero. President David Adeang revealed this change to honor the Indigenous name, pronounced "Now-ero," emphasizing its significance to the nation's identity and heritage. Nauru, recognized as the third-smallest country globally, once prospered due to its phosphate-rich guano but has since experienced economic downturns attributed to mismanagement. This renaming reflects a broader trend in national rebranding, following similar changes like Swaziland to Eswatini (2018), Turkey to Türkiye (2022), and Macedonia to North Macedonia (2019). Additionally, India is contemplating the name Bharat, while the Te Pāti Māori party in New Zealand proposed Aotearoa in 2021.
Key facts
- Nauru has changed its name to the Republic of Naoero, and its citizens are now called dei-Naoero.
- President David Adeang pitched the name change earlier this year to honor heritage, language, and identity.
- Naoero is pronounced 'Now-ero'.
- Nauru is the world's third-smallest country by area, ahead of Vatican and Monaco.
- In the 1970s and 1980s, phosphate-rich guano made Nauru possibly the world's wealthiest country per capita.
- Swaziland became Eswatini in 2018, partly to avoid being mistaken for Switzerland.
- Turkey announced in 2022 it preferred to be known as Türkiye.
- Macedonia added 'North' in 2019 to end a diplomatic row with Greece.
- The Czech Republic announced in 2016 it would be known as Czechia.
- Zambia and Zimbabwe dropped Rhodesia upon independence in 1964 and 1980.
- India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flirted with the official Sanskrit name Bharat.
- Georgia's citizens call their country Sakartvelo.
- In 2021, Te Pāti Māori gathered over 70,000 signatures to rename New Zealand Aotearoa.
- The article is by Andrew Mueller, a Monocle contributor.
Entities
Artists
- Andrew Mueller
Institutions
- Monocle
- Te Pāti Māori
- House of Representatives
Locations
- Nauru
- Naoero
- Vatican
- Monaco
- Tuvalu
- Kiribati
- Fiji
- Brisbane
- Melbourne
- Swaziland
- Eswatini
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- Türkiye
- Macedonia
- Greece
- Czech Republic
- Czechia
- France
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
- Northern Rhodesia
- Southern Rhodesia
- Malawi
- Mali
- Benin
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- India
- Bombay
- Mumbai
- Madras
- Chennai
- Calcutta
- Kolkata
- Georgia
- Sakartvelo
- New Zealand
- Aotearoa
Sources
- Monocle —