Nauru has officially changed its name to the Republic of Naoero, with its international country code shifting from NRU to NRO and citizens now known as dei-Naoero rather than Nauruans. President David Adeang proposed the change to parliament in January, saying it aims to honour the nation's heritage, language and identity. Lawmakers approved the rename in two rounds of voting, and the government cancelled a planned referendum, declaring one unnecessary.
The United Nations website has listed the country under its new name since June, while the foreign ministries of Australia and New Zealand, along with the U.S. and Chinese embassies, have adopted the Naoero designation.
The Pacific island, home to roughly 12,000 people, is the third-smallest country in the world by population. It was part of the German colonial empire from 1888 until the First World War and later administered jointly by Australia, Britain and New Zealand until independence in 1968. The low-lying island is among the nations most exposed to rising sea levels from climate change.