In compliance with an executive order from President Donald Trump, Google on Monday altered the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” for users accessing its Maps platform within the United States. The move has sparked debate over geopolitical and historical implications.
The tech giant explained in a blog post that international users would still be presented with both the original and newly assigned name for the Gulf of Mexico, following its standard practice for disputed territories.
“People using Maps in the U.S. will see ‘Gulf of America,’ and people in Mexico will see ‘Gulf of Mexico.’ Everyone else will see both names,” Google wrote.
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Google clarified that the adjustment aligns with its policy of adopting official geographic names as recognized by the U.S. government through the Geographic Names Information System. Shortly after taking office, Trump signed executive orders that not only renamed the Gulf of Mexico but also restored Denali’s former designation, Mt. McKinley.
Then-President Barack Obama officially recognized the Alaska peak as Denali in 2015, restoring the name that Alaska Natives had used for centuries. Trump’s renaming efforts were met with criticism from indigenous groups in Alaska, who had long fought to preserve the Denali name, while also raising diplomatic concerns with Mexico.
In a tongue-in-cheek remark, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum suggested calling the United States “Mexican America,” citing a pre-1848 map that depicted the vast lands Mexico lost to the U.S. after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
