Google announced on Monday that it will change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to ‘Gulf of America’ after it is officially updated in the US Geographic Names System. While the name change will be visible to US users, Maps users in Mexico will continue to see the name ‘Gulf of Mexico’ in Mexico. Users outside the two countries will see both names on the website.
“We’ve received a few questions about naming within Google Maps. We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources.” Google wrote in a post on X.
Notably, President Donald Trump had signed an executive order shortly after taking the oath of office changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and restoring the name of Mount Denali to Mount McKinley.
“As directed by the President, the Gulf of Mexico will now officially be known as the Gulf of America and North America’s highest peak will once again bear the name Mount McKinley,” US Interior department had said in a statement last week.
“These changes reaffirm the Nation’s commitment to preserving the extraordinary heritage of the United States and ensuring that future generations of Americans celebrate the legacy of its heroes and historic assets,” it added.
Mexica on ‘Gulf of America’ change:
Earlier this month, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum had jokingly remarked that the name of US should be changed to ‘Mexican America’, a historic name that was found early maps of the region.
“The fact is that Mexican America is recognised since the 17th century… as the name for the whole northern part of the (American) continent,” Sheinbaum stated.
On the changing of the name of the Gulf of Mexico to ‘Gulf of America’, she said that the name has been “internationally recognised and used as a maritime navigational reference going back hundreds of years.”
