Why Did Google Maps Change the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America? Here’s the Company’s Explanation
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Google Maps has changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” for users in the United States. This change follows an order from President Donald Trump. Google stated on Monday that they follow official government updates for naming places.
In the U.S., users will see the name “Gulf of America,” but in Mexico, it will still be called the “Gulf of Mexico.” Users from other countries will see both names. Google is trying to use names that fit with what different countries prefer.
“People using Maps in the US will see ‘Gulf of America,’ and people in Mexico will see ‘Gulf of Mexico.’ Everyone else will see both names,” it said in a statement Monday.
Google also mentioned plans to change the name of North America’s highest peak, Mount McKinley, back to Denali. This goes back on a change made in 2015 by former President Barack Obama, which was meant to honor the area’s native people. However, this update hasn’t happened on Google Maps yet.
These changes are part of an order by Trump to “honor American greatness.” He criticized Obama’s decision to rename Mount McKinley, saying it was disrespectful to President McKinley’s memory.
“Please be advised that the FAA is in the process of updating our data and charts to show a name change from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and a name change from Denali to Mount McKinley,” the agency said.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also said on Monday that it’s updating its information to show these new names. The U.S. Coast Guard is also using the new name “Gulf of America” in its notices.
This adjustment is based on each user’s country settings, determined by their device’s operating system (Android or iOS), SIM card, network, and regional configuration. In the case of Google Maps on the web, the name displayed will depend on the region selected in the search settings or the device’s location.
Reactions and Controversy
The renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the ‘Gulf of America’ on Google Maps has triggered a heated debate across social media and among geography and international relations experts.
Some view this change as a straightforward update following U.S. governmental guidelines, while others argue it represents a symbolic overreach, altering a name deeply ingrained in Mexican and Latin American heritage.
The U.S. Department of the Interior announced this modification in a press release on Friday, January 24, stating, “In line with President Donald J. Trump’s recent executive order, the Department of the Interior is pleased to implement name restorations that celebrate American heritage, with efforts already in progress.”
This renaming was officially recognized when the country’s Geographic Names Board updated the national registry of place names.
