On Monday, Google Maps officially changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
On Monday, Google Maps officially changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
Google is renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
The new name will be "Gulf of the Americas" after it is officially updated in the United States Geographic Names System. The change will be visible in the United States, but in Mexico, the previous name, Gulf of Mexico, will remain. Outside of those two countries, Google Maps users will be able to see both names.
Recall that US President Donald Trump announced in his inaugural address that he had changed the name of the "Gulf of Mexico" to "American." A few hours later, he signed a corresponding decree.
Trump also restored the name McKinley to the nation's highest peak, Denali in Alaska. It was given its second name during Barack Obama's term in 2015, out of respect for the region's indigenous people. According to the president-elect, the renaming is intended to "promote the great heritage" of the American nation.
Trump proposed renaming the Gulf of Mexico in early January. He thinks the new name is beautiful and appropriate. After that, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum jokingly suggested renaming the States Mexican America. She showed a world map from 1607, where North America was marked as Mexican. At the same time, the Gulf of Mexico was already called that, 169 years before the founding of the United States.
UPDATED. 02/11/2025 11:50
Starting Monday afternoon, Google Maps users in the United States began seeing the name of the Gulf of Mexico changed to the Gulf of America, TechCrunch reports .
International users will see both names, while Mexican users will only see Gulf of Mexico.
The name Gulf of Mexico has been the most common name for the body of water since the 16th century.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she would send a letter to Google challenging the company's decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico on Google Maps. But Google's decision to change the name of the gulf is consistent with the company's existing policy on how to address naming differences between countries. On mobile devices, Google changes Maps based on a user's location in the country, which is determined by the operating system, SIM card, and network.
While Google complied with Trump's order, Apple still hasn't updated the name of the Gulf of Mexico in its Maps app. Searching for "Gulf of America" on Apple Maps didn't return any results.
