Nauru changes its name to Republic of Naoero

• The Pacific island nation of Nauru has officially changed its name to the Republic of Naoero.

• The abbreviated name will be Naoero, while citizens will be referred to as dei-Naoero.

• European colonisers changed the country’s name to Nauru after finding it difficult to pronounce the island’s native name Naoero. 

• The nation is the world’s third-smallest after Vatican City and Monaco, with a population of about 13,000.

• In May, Nauru’s Parliament passed a constitutional amendment to rename the country, initially planning a national referendum.

• However, President David Adeang said the referendum plans were dropped.

• The country’s international code will change from NRU to NRO.

Key facts about Naoero:

• Naoero has no official capital city because it is so small that government institutions are centered in Yaren district.

• Naoero is an island republic in the Pacific Ocean, 42 kilometers south of the equator.

• It is the smallest island nation in the world with a land area of just 21 square kilometres.

• It was colonised by Germany and later administered by Australia before becoming an independent republic in 1968.

• Its constitution, adopted upon gaining independence in 1968, established it as a republic with a Westminster-style parliamentary system of government. 

• A coral reef surrounds the entire island which is dotted with pinnacles.