The world’s third-smallest country debuts new name at the UN: ‘Say our name’
Por Ted Anthony — – World RSS Feed
The world’s third-smallest country debuts new name at the UN: ‘Say our name’
President David Adeang has reiterated his island nation’s name change before the world’s largest gathering of leaders at the United Nations
Ted Anthony Wednesday 23 September 2026 06:46 BST
- Bookmark
Bookmark popover
Removed from bookmarks
Close popover
Become an Independent member to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today.
Already a member?
Log in
Your support helps us to tell the story
Read more Support Now
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference. Read more
The tiny South Pacific island nation of Nauru, its president said, had changed its name — and reclaimed its heritage in the process.
President David Adeang addressed the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, the world’s largest gathering of leaders on behalf of his nation.
“I have travelled far,” he said Tuesday at the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
What was known to the world for many years as Nauru, Adeang said, was returning to the name and pronunciation of its past: Naoero.
“There are moments in the life of a nation when its people are called to remember who they have always been,” he added. “This is such a moment for us.”
Though the names are similar and, in essence, the same word, the shift in spelling and pronunciation represents the nation’s effort to recast — rebrand, even — itself for its own people as much as for the outside world. He called it not a change but an effort to “affirm a truth.”
“For many years, the world has known our country as Nauru. Nauru is how our name sounded to those who found it hard to say, and the world kept it,” Adeang said. “But it is not the name our people used among themselves.”
open image in galleryThe nation, an eight-square-mile island with about 12,000 people and the world’s third-smallest country, became independent in 1968 after longtime colonial rule under the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia and Germany. It announced the renaming in August after signalling its intent in February.
The country’s international code is changing from NRU to NRO, and its people will be known as dei-Naoero instead of Nauruan. Commonly known abroad by the pronunciation of Now-roo, the new name is spoken as Now-ero.
Across the past century, other nations have renamed themselves or tweaked their names for various reasons, from modernisation to rejection of colonialism.
The African nation of Eswatini changed its name from Swaziland in 2018. In Africa, Dahomey became Benin after a 1975 coup, and Rhodesia became Zimbabwe in 1980 after shedding colonial rule. Siam became Thailand in 1939 to foster ethnic unity and shed a foreign label.
Turkey, meanwhile, has been officially named Turkiye since 1920 but requested in 2022 that the United Nations use the spelling and pronunciation as its name in English as well — in part to avoid confusion by underscoring that the bird wasn’t the word.
open image in galleryThe list goes on. Persia became Iran. Burma became Myanmar. Upper Volta is now Burkina Faso, Gold Coast is Ghana, and Ceylon is Sri Lanka.
A name, obviously, is a pivotal and intimate expression of a nation’s identity on any stage, domestic or international. Adeang’s remarks Tuesday reflected this as he carefully pronounced the name to differentiate it from its former pronunciation.
“We do not make this choice to erase our past. We make it because we honour it,” he said. “That name carries the memory of our ancestors, our language, and our identity. It has been there all along. Never lost, never absent. Today, we restore Naoero.”
And then, after completing his address about the issues that face his people — rising seas, economics, respect on the global stage — he concluded his address with three words:
“Say our name.”
More about
South PacificAustraliaGermanyUnited KingdomNew ZealandZimbabweBurkina FasoGhana
Most popular
Popular videos
Bulletin
Read next
Fonte: – World RSS Feed