In a recent development, Google Maps has made a significant name change by officially updating the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. This change aligns with one of the executive orders signed by President Donald Trump on his inauguration day, which aims to rename the Gulf of Mexico as part of an effort to “restore American pride in the history of American greatness.”
This executive order also seeks to reverse the decision from the Obama administration that changed the name of Mount McKinley to Denali, which has been long honored by Indigenous peoples. Much like Denali, the Gulf of Mexico has been recognized as such since the 16th century.
With this new update, U.S. users of Google Maps will now see this iconic body of water referred to as the Gulf of America. Meanwhile, international users will have both names displayed, and Mexican users will continue to see the historical designation, Gulf of Mexico. The adjustments follow Google’s policy that respects geographical naming conventions per country based on user location indicators such as the operating system, SIM card, and network connection.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum plans to address this change with Google, questioning the renaming decision. Despite the controversy, Google has adhered to Trump’s executive order, integrating it into the United States’ Geographic Names Information System.
Interestingly, the change has not yet been adopted by Apple’s Maps app. Searching for the Gulf of America on Apple Maps yields no results, indicating the original name has yet to be updated or replaced.
Both Google and Apple’s CEOs, Sundar Pichai and Tim Cook, respectively, were present at President Trump’s inauguration. Notably, Cook contributed $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund, with similar financial participation made by Google.
As this update reflects changing policies and political influence on digital platforms, it remains a topic of international interest and diverse reactions.
