One of the world’s smallest and most isolated countries has reclaimed its traditional name. Nauru is now officially the Republic of Naoero, a change intended to reflect the language, heritage, and identity of its people rather than a colonial-era name adopted for foreign convenience.
The abbreviated name of the country is now Naoero, pronounced roughly “now-ero,” rather than the familiar “now-roo.” Its international country code will transition from NRU to NRO, while citizens will be referred to as dei-Naoero instead of Nauruans. Nauru International Airport has become Naoero International Airport, though the codes remains INU. Nauru Airlines, the flag carrier, has not changed names (yet).
Naoero is the country’s traditional Indigenous name, already spoken locally and displayed on its national coat of arms. The government says the spelling “Nauru” took hold because foreign visitors struggled to pronounce Naoero, with convenience eventually displacing the country’s own name abroad.
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