Google Maps is set to reflect controversial changes made under a U.S. executive order, renaming the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America” when accessed within the United States.
This decision follows an executive directive by President Donald Trump, who mandated the change during his initial week in office.
The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) in the U.S. officially updated the designation, prompting the tech giant to act accordingly.
The change would only reflect for users in the U.S., unlike earlier reporting that was based on a X post from Google.
Users in Mexico are still seeing “Gulf of Mexico” on Google Maps, while users not in either U.S. or Mexico are seeing both names with Gulf of America written in brackets.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum had objected, contesting that the name change cannot legally be enforced beyond 12 nautical miles of U.S. coastline, as per the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. “
The name change could only correspond to these 12 nautical miles,” she remarked, as earlier reported by the BBC.
This isn’t the first instance of geographical renaming under Trump’s administration, with Google also planning to revert the name of Mount Denali to Mount McKinley in Maps, following the president’s order to “honor American greatness.” The change would also likely only apply to U.S. users.
Originally named Denali by former President Obama to recognize Indigenous Alaskan heritage, the reversal is part of Trump’s broader narrative to celebrate U.S. history.