The Third Smallest Country in the World Has a New Name

Key Points:

• The Pacific island nation formerly known as Nauru has officially changed its name to Naoero, reclaiming its traditional name, pronunciation, and cultural identity, as announced by President David Adeang at the United Nations General Assembly.
• President Adeang emphasized that Naoero reflects the country's ancestral heritage and identity, contrasting with the former name "Nauru," which was a mispronunciation adopted by outsiders.
• Naoero is one of the world's smallest countries, consisting of a single eight-square-mile island with about 12,000 residents, making it the third-smallest sovereign state after the Vatican and Tuvalu.
• The country has minimal tourism, receiving fewer than 200 visitors annually, and is served by Nauru Airlines, which has not yet changed its brand name to reflect the country's new official name.
• Naoero's economy relies heavily on foreign aid, with key exports including frozen fish and phosphates, and it leases its skipjack tuna fishing grounds to foreign vessels; the name change follows a global trend of countries restoring traditional names to reaffirm national identity.