Article may be outdated

This article is 60 days old. Some details may have changed since publication.

The Hindu·3 min read·medium

Why did the world’s smallest island nation revise its name? | Explained

V
Vighnesh P. Venkitesh
Why did the world’s smallest island nation revise its name? | Explained
✦AI Summary

The Pacific island nation of Nauru has officially changed its name to Naoero to honor its indigenous language and heritage. The government stated the move is intended to distance the country from its colonial history and foster national pride.

Why it matters

The renaming reflects a growing global trend of post-colonial nations reclaiming indigenous identities and correcting historical naming conventions.

✦Dive DeeperCreate a free account to unlock

The smallest island nation in the world has adopted a more indigenous version of its name as part of efforts to move away from its colonial past as well as preserve a language deemed endangered. The move to rename the Republic of Nauru as the Republic of Naoero , to be pronounced as now-ero, is the beginning of a new national pride, the government of the island nation has said. The decision was about “identity, heritage, and preserving the legacy of our ancestors and strengthening the future of our children”, its President David Adeang had said of the revised name. The revision will also apply to its citizens, who would now be addressed as dei-Naoero instead of Nauruan, the government said, adding that it has formally notified other countries and international organisation of the name revision.

Continue reading on Headlinne

Create a free account to read the full article.

Read full article →
worldculture
✦

Get smarter about the news

Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.

Create free account

Already have an account? Sign in