Translation result
Turkey became Türkiye, Siam became Thailand, and Swaziland became Eswatini. Those names have largely disappeared from modern maps. The tiny Micronesian island nation of Nauru (photo) is preparing to abandon the name “Nauru” in favor of the name its people actually use.
On May 18 (local time), The New York Times reported that Nauru has launched the process to change its official name to Naoero. Parliament unanimously approved a constitutional amendment authorizing the change, which will be finalized through a national referendum. If the change is approved, U.N. records, passports, the national airline and other state symbols will be updated in sequence. Officials say the move aims to reaffirm national identity by adopting the locally used name rather than the form that took hold because it was easier for foreigners to pronounce.
In January, Nauru’s government formally announced the renaming effort, saying, “Naoero did not come easily to foreign tongues, and the name ‘Nauru’ arose,” framing “Nauru” as a convenience-driven name rather than one chosen by the people. President David Adeang said in a statement on May 12 that the change is “a measure to more fully honor the nation’s heritage, language and identity.”
Analysts describe the renaming as more than cosmetic: it is an attempt to remove linguistic and cultural traces left by colonial rule. Nauru—once a German protectorate and later a trusteeship administered by Australia, Britain and New Zealand before gaining independence in 1968—now seeks to correct a colonial-era name. Other countries have taken similar steps to break with their colonial pasts: Ceylon became Sri Lanka, and the New Hebrides became Vanuatu.
Most Commented