Nauru changes country name to erase colonial memories

The South Pacific island nation of Nauru has officially changed its name. The country has been renamed the ‘Republic of Nauru’, keeping the spelling and pronunciation of the local national language intact.

The country’s President David Adiang recently confirmed the government’s historic decision.

As a result of the change, the country’s code will be used internationally instead of ‘ARU’ to ‘NRO’. In addition, the country’s residents will now be known as ‘De-Nauru’ instead of ‘Nauruan’ on the world stage.

Although the country is called ‘Nauru-ru’ internationally, its correct pronunciation in its own native language is ‘Nau-ero’.

In a statement published on the government’s official Facebook page on Thursday (July 30), it was announced that the decision will return the remote island nation to its original traditional name.

Another government statement released earlier said that the name ‘Nauru’ was shortened to ‘Nauru’ to make it easier for foreigners to pronounce. It was not a spontaneous choice, but a name adopted for the convenience of foreigners.

President David Adiang first introduced the proposal in Parliament in January this year, saying, ‘The main objective of this proposed change is to fully respect and establish our national heritage, language and fundamental identity.’ The proposal was approved in two stages of voting by Parliament in accordance with the law of the constitution.

Initially, the country’s president announced plans for a public opinion or referendum to finalize the matter after final parliamentary approval in May. However, after extensive discussions, it was learned that no separate referendum was needed.

The government statement said, ‘The purpose of the referendum is to determine the wishes of the people. However, the word ‘Nauru’ has never been lost among us, it was just waiting to return to its full status. It is already part of our people's identity, inscribed on the national emblem or 'coat of arms' and used daily by local communities.

History and current challenges

With a population of just 12,000, this state is the third smallest country in the world after Tuvalu and Vatican City. After being under German colonial rule and later under Australian administrative control, the country gained full independence in 1968. Although it enjoyed great wealth in the 1970s due to phosphate mining, it fell into serious economic crisis in the 1990s due to the destruction of the mining industry.

Currently, Nauru is one of the countries in the world most vulnerable to rising sea levels due to climate change. To cope with the impact of climate change and to move infrastructure from vulnerable areas, they are forming a foreign investment fund called 'paid citizenship' or citizenship in exchange for money.

Rebranding and recognition around the world

Nauru has joined the trend of changing the names of various countries in order to erase their colonial history. Earlier in 2018, the African country of Swaziland changed its name to its old name ‘Eswatini’. In 2022, Turkey registered its international name as ‘Türkiye’ at the United Nations.

Work has already begun on revising Nauru’s national airline, ships and international documents. Influential countries such as the United Nations, Australia, New Zealand, the United States and China have already started using the name ‘Nauru’ on their official websites.