Trump Administration Orders Google Maps to Display “Gulf of America” in the U.S.

Feature and Cover Trump Administration Orders Google Maps to Display Gulf of America in the U S

Google Maps users in the United States will soon see the “Gulf of Mexico” labeled as the “Gulf of America” following a name change mandated by the Trump Administration. The update will take effect after the federal mapping database reflects the alteration, Alphabet-owned Google announced on Monday.

The decision aligns with an executive order issued by President Donald Trump last week, which renamed multiple American landmarks. In response, the U.S. Department of the Interior confirmed the changes were official and stated that America’s Geographic Names System was working “expeditiously” to implement the President’s directive.

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

The modification means that users in the United States will see “Gulf of America” on Google Maps, while the name will remain “Gulf of Mexico” in Mexico. Users in other countries will see both names displayed.

Trump’s Renaming Orders

According to the Interior Department, the Gulf of Mexico’s official designation has been changed to the Gulf of America. Additionally, the highest peak in North America, Denali, has been renamed Mount McKinley.

Google Maps will also apply this change to Mount McKinley, which was originally named after the 25th U.S. President, William McKinley, in 1917. However, the Obama administration changed the mountain’s name back to Denali in 2015, in recognition of its historical significance to Alaska’s Indigenous people.

President Trump enacted these renaming measures through a series of executive orders issued hours after he assumed office on January 20, fulfilling a campaign pledge.

Earlier this month, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum jokingly suggested that North America, including the United States, be called “Mexican America,” referencing an early map that used this historical designation.

Google’s Approach to Naming Disputes

Google has a history of adapting place names based on regional and geopolitical considerations. For instance, the body of water situated between Japan and South Korea is labeled as the “Sea of Japan (East Sea)” outside both countries to reflect the ongoing naming dispute.

Similarly, in 2012, Iran threatened legal action against Google for omitting the name “Persian Gulf” from Google Maps, leaving the body of water between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula unnamed. The platform later revised its labeling to “Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf)” in certain regions.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More Related Stories

-+=