Google Maps will soon reflect the name change of the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America” within the U.S., following its official update in the U.S. Geographic Names System, the company confirmed in an X post on Monday. The name will remain “Gulf of Mexico” in Mexico, while users outside the two countries will see both names displayed.
The Trump administration’s Interior Department announced the change last Friday, along with renaming North America’s tallest peak, Denali, back to Mount McKinley. These updates were part of President Donald Trump’s executive orders issued hours after taking office on January 20, fulfilling a campaign pledge.
“As directed by the President, the Gulf of Mexico will now officially be known as the Gulf of America, and Denali will once again bear the name Mount McKinley,” the Interior Department said in a statement.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, in a lighthearted response earlier this month, suggested renaming North America as “Mexican America,” a name used in early regional maps.
A Google spokesperson referred Reuters to their X post for further clarification. Google Maps frequently applies localized naming conventions to disputed regions. For example, outside Japan and South Korea, the shared body of water is labeled “Sea of Japan (East Sea).”
In past controversies, Google faced backlash for removing “Persian Gulf” from its maps, leaving the region between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula unnamed. It now displays both “Persian Gulf” and “Arabian Gulf” based on location.
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