Google Maps to rename Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America after Trump order

Google Maps users in the United States will soon see the name “Gulf of Mexico” replaced with “Gulf of America,” following an order from the US President Donald Trump. Google announced this update on Monday, stating that it will only make changes when the government updates its official listings.

The renaming follows an executive order signed by Trump, who directed that several landmarks across the country be renamed. The US Department of the Interior confirmed that America’s Geographic Names System is working quickly to apply the updates. When that happens, Google Maps will be updated in the US to show the Gulf of America.

“We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources,” Google said in a post on X.

Trump’s renaming spree

This is not the only renaming ordered by Trump. The US President has also ordered that Mount Denali, the highest peak in North America, be changed back to its previous name, Mount McKinley. The mountain was originally named McKinley in 1917 after the 25th US president, but the Obama administration restored the Native Alaskan name, Denali, in 2015.

Trump justified the change by stating that President McKinley helped make America wealthy through tariffs and talent.

Trump’s earlier clash over Gulf of Mexico

Since his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump has often clashed with Mexico over issues such as border security and trade tariffs. He promised to build a wall along the US-Mexico border and, during his presidency, his administration constructed approximately 450 miles of the wall.

The Gulf of Mexico is sometimes called the US’ ‘third coast’ because it touches five southeastern states. In Spanish, Mexicans refer to it as ‘El Golfo de México,’ which means the ‘Gulf of Mexico.’

There is also a difference in what Americans and Mexicans call a major river that separates Texas from several Mexican states. Americans call it the Rio Grande, while Mexicans call it the Rio Bravo.

Backlash against Trump’s moves

Trump has faced criticism from indigenous groups for his renaming decisions. Alaska’s Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski opposed the Mount Denali renaming, emphasizing that the name Denali has been used by Native Alaskans for thousands of years.

“Our nation’s tallest mountain, which has been called Denali for thousands of years, must continue to be known by the rightful name bestowed by Alaska’s Koyukon Athabascans, who have stewarded the land since time immemorial,” she said.

Regarding the Gulf of Mexico renaming, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum humorously criticized Trump’s decision, sarcastically suggesting that North America should be renamed “Mexican America.”

“For us, it is still the Gulf of Mexico, and for the entire world, it remains the Gulf of Mexico,” she said.

Google’s naming policy

Google Maps follows local naming conventions and, in regions where names are disputed, displays multiple names. For example, the body of water between Japan and South Korea is labeled as “Sea of Japan (East Sea),” while the Persian Gulf appears as “Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf)” in different regions.

Regarding the Gulf of Mexico and Mount Denali updates, Google stated that the changes would take effect as soon as the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) updates the official records.