SYDNEY – The Nauru government said on Tuesday that the country's parliament had passed a constitutional amendment seeking to change the country's name from "Nauru" to "Naoero".

According to a statement released by the Nauru government on social media, the next step will be to hold a national referendum.

The Nauru government said that, if approved in the referendum, the new name will be used in official national records and symbols, as well as in the country's official identity regionally and internationally, including at the United Nations.

The name-change proposal was first put forward by President David Adeang in January. The Nauru government previously stated that the name "Naoero" better reflects the nation's heritage, language and identity.

The Nauru government explained that the name "Nauru" emerged because "Naoero" could not be properly pronounced by foreign tongues.