On his first day in office, January 20, US President Trump demanded the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico into Gulf of America, due to its “importance to the nation.”
In addition, Trump ordered the renaming of the highest peak in North America from Denali to its previous name, Mount McKinley, a tribute to the 25th US president, William McKinley.
Google has previously stated that it adheres to a “longstanding practice” of implementing name changes on its Google Maps when they are reflected in official government documentation.
Yesterday, in accordance with Trump’s executive order which aims to commemorate “American Greatness,” Google Maps has officially renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the ‘Gulf of America’ for users located in the United States.
In a social media post, the technology company confirmed that it would update Google Maps to align with the recent change made by the US Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), which officially changed ‘Gulf of Mexico’ to ‘Gulf of America.’
Google Maps users in the United States will now see the ‘Gulf of America’, whereas in Mexico, Google will maintain the designation ‘Gulf of Mexico’. Customers in the countries other than Mexico and the United States will see both names displayed as ‘Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)’. According to Google, the naming convention is determined by the user’s location settings.
The gulf, which connects to the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, extends along the eastern coastline of Mexico, the southeastern coastline of the United States, and the western perimeter of Cuba. The designation Gulf of Mexico has been utilized by European explorers and cartographers for more than 400 years.
Google’s take on the renaming of the gulf bears strong resemblance to other contentious or variably designated geographic features, such as the maritime area situated between Japan and Korea, which is referred to as the ‘Sea of Japan (East Sea)’ in certain international discussions.
Trump’s initiative to rename the gulf has encountered significant resistance abroad. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has asserted that both Mexico and the international community will continue to refer to the water body as the Gulf of Mexico, emphasizing that the United States “cannot unilaterally alter the designation of an international waterway” that has been acknowledged “for centuries.” The United Kingdom and Canada have also announced that they will continue the use of the original name.