World's Third Smallest Nation Seeks To Reclaim Identity With New Name

The Pacific island nation of Nauru, considered the third smallest country in the world after Vatican City and Monaco, plans to officially change its name to Naoero. The announcement was made by President David Adeang, AzerNEWS reports.

According to Sweden's Expressen, President Adeang explained that the current name, "Nauru," originated during the colonial period, as foreigners were unable to pronounce the country's original name correctly. He emphasized that the new name should better reflect the nation's cultural heritage, language, and national identity.

Nauru was under the protectorate of Britain and Australia until gaining independence in 1968, with the exception of a brief period under German administration.

During the 2016 migration crisis, Nauru hosted more than 1,200 refugees who were denied entry into Australia. They were housed in temporary camps, which Amnesty International described as having "horrendous" conditions.

Nauru remains the only country in the world without an official capital city.

It is especially vulnerable to climate change and has high rates of unemployment and health issues, a recent World Bank assessment said.

Unusually pure phosphate deposits - a key ingredient in fertilizer - once made Nauru one of the wealthiest places, per capita, on the planet.

But those supplies have long dried up, and researchers today estimate 80 percent of Nauru has been rendered uninhabitable by mining.

Image: Getty Images

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