The Republic of Naoero: Pacific Island Renaming and Geography

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The Pacific island nation formerly known as Nauru officially changed its name to the Republic of Naoero.

The Republic of Naoero is an independent island nation with a population of about 12,000 residents, making it the world's third-smallest sovereign republic by land area after Vatican City and Monaco.
The country does not have an official capital city, but its government administrative offices are located in the Yaren District.
It is situated in the southwestern Pacific Ocean within southeastern Micronesia, lying roughly 40 km south of the Equator and 1,300 km northeast of the Solomon Islands.

The nation consists of a single oval raised coral limestone island that rises steeply from the ocean floor, completely lacking natural harbors or sheltered bays.
The interior plateau sits 30 to 65 meters above sea level and contains rich rock phosphate deposits formed over centuries from accumulated guano or bird droppings.
Widespread open-cast phosphate mining throughout the 20th century stripped topsoil across four-fifths of the island, leaving behind a barren landscape filled with tall limestone spires.
A narrow coastal strip rings the island and surrounds Buada Lagoon, a shallow brackish water body where local farming of coconut, banana, and pandanus takes place.
The island has no natural rivers or surface streams, and its porous soil forces residents to rely on harvested rainwater systems and imported freshwater.

Changing the national name to Naoero and adopting local terms helps preserve the endangered indigenous language while strengthening national identity.
The country serves as a clear example of how aggressive phosphate mining combined with sea-level rise and ocean warming threatens small island nations.