Nauru, the world’s third-smallest country located in the Pacific Ocean, has made a historic decision to change its name. The country will now officially be known as the ‘Republic of Naoero’. The United Nations (UN) has also updated its records to reflect this new name. With an area of only 21 square kilometres, Nauru is the third-smallest country in the world.
This island nation, with a population of approximately 12,000, maintains that ‘Naoero’ is its authentic name, whereas ‘Nauru’ came into use merely for the convenience of foreigners. The government now believes the time has come for the country to present itself to the world with its original identity.
Naoero has become the eighth country in the twenty-first century to change its name; Türkiye was the last to do so, in 2022.
Phosphate transformed its fortunes—and led to its financial ruin
In 1900, Australian geologist Albert Fuller Ellis discovered vast phosphate deposits in Naoero. Commercial mining began six years later. At the time, there was immense global demand for phosphate, as it was used to produce agricultural fertilizer. Before long, this tiny island had become one of the world’s largest phosphate exporters.
After gaining independence in 1968, the Naoero government gradually took control of the phosphate industry. By the 1970s, revenue from phosphate had soared, and the nation was counted among the wealthiest countries in the world.
Per capita income rose to levels comparable to those of many developed nations. The government had so much wealth that services such as education, healthcare, and others were provided to the public almost free of charge. The country also invested by purchasing hotels, buildings, and other assets abroad.
However, this prosperity was short-lived. Continuous mining caused phosphate reserves to deplete rapidly. The primary source of income dried up, and many overseas investments resulted in losses.
By the 1990s, Naoero was mired in a severe economic crisis. The very phosphate that once propelled this tiny island onto the list of the world’s wealthiest nations ran out, leaving the country to grapple with economic hardship. Even today, the nation has not fully recovered from the impact of that era.