‘Gulf of Mexico’ is now ‘Gulf of America’ for US Google Maps users
Google Maps changed the ‘Gulf of Mexico’ name once it was officially updated in the U.S. Geographic Names System.
The former Gulf of Mexico has officially been designated as the Gulf of America.
Sort of.
Anyone in the United States using Google Maps will see the large body of water west of Florida as the Gulf of America. Residents elsewhere in the world will see it as both the Gulf of Mexico and Gulf of America.
Google Maps posted on X it would change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America once it was officially updated in the U.S. Geographic Names System. The name change is now official.
On his Inauguration Day Jan. 20, Donald Trump signed an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
The announcement followed through on a promise Trump made from his estate in Palm Beach County earlier in January.
In another move, Trump designated Sunday, Feb. 9 as Gulf of America Day.
What happens if you Google Gulf of Mexico today?
Anyone in the U.S. who goes to Google Maps today, Feb. 11, and types Gulf of Mexico will now see Gulf of America.
What happens if you go to USGS and look for Gulf of America today?
If you go to the U.S. Geological Survey’ website, you’ll still see the Gulf of Mexico if you search for the Gulf of America but on the top of the page is a notation saying: “Per Secretarial Order 3423, the Gulf of Mexico has been renamed to the Gulf of America.  The display map for the Gazetteer application is in the process of being updated to reflect this name change.”
The order directs the Board on Geographic Survey to “immediately rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
“The area formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico has long been an indelible part of America and an asset to our Nation. The Gulf has played a pivotal role in shaping America’s history and promises to play a vital role in our future, serving as a flourishing natural resource of critical importance to our Nation’s economy and people,” the order said.
5 states surrounds Gulf of America
The Gulf of America is surrounded by five states: Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.
On the west of the gulf is Mexico and to the south is Cuba.
President Trump ordered change to Gulf of America by Feb. 19
On Saturday, Feb. 9, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum announced the name has officially been changed from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
“It’s official! Congratulations @POTUS on the Gulf of America! @Interior has implemented your instruction from the Executive Order on Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness. Another big win for President Trump’s agenda to Make America Great Again,” Burgum posted on X.
Google had announced earlier on X, formerly known as Twitter, it would change the name to Gulf of America once the name was officially updated in the U.S. Geographic Names System.
In the executive order signed Jan. 20, Trump said the secretary of the interior shall rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America within 30 days.
“The Secretary shall subsequently update the GNIS to reflect the renaming of the Gulf and remove all references to the Gulf of Mexico from the GNIS,” the order said. GNIS stands for Geographic Names Information System.
The Department of Interior beat the Feb. 19 deadline by 10 days.
Gulf of America on Google Maps is visible only in US
The name change on Google Maps is visible only in the U.S.
Outside of the U.S., users see both the Gulf of Mexico and Gulf of America.
International practice is to use whatever place name is preferred by the country a specific geographic feature belongs to, but the gulf touches Mexico, the United States, Cuba and several other island nations.
Why did Google Maps change the name from Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America?
“We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources,” @NewsFromGoogle posted on X.
“Also longstanding practice: When official names vary between countries, Maps users see their official local name. Everyone in the rest of the world sees both names. That applies here too.”
Is Apple Maps changing to Gulf of America?
As of Tuesday, Feb. 11, Apple Maps is showing Gulf of Mexico, something that is getting mixed reactions on social media.
Apple has remained silent about Trump’s order on the name change, according to Apple Insider.
Why did Trump rename the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America?
Trump said Jan. 7 at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida he wanted to make the name change because of a trade imbalance with Mexico, illegal immigration into the U.S. at the southern border and concerns about drugs coming into the United States.
“We’re going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which has a beautiful ring that covers a lot of territory, the Gulf of America.
“What a beautiful name. And it’s appropriate. It’s appropriate,” Trump said.
US Department of Interior confirms name changes to Gulf of America, Mount McKinley
In a statement issued Friday, Jan. 24, the U.S. Department of Interior said it was “proud to announce the implementation of name restorations that honor the legacy of American greatness, with efforts already underway.
“As directed by the President, the Gulf of Mexico will now officially be known as the Gulf of America and North America’s highest peak will once again bear the name Mount McKinley.
“These changes reaffirm the Nation’s commitment to preserving the extraordinary heritage of the United States and ensuring that future generations of Americans celebrate the legacy of its heroes and historic assets.Â
“The U.S. Board on Geographic Names, under the purview of the Department of the Interior, is working expeditiously to update the official federal nomenclature in the Geographic Names Information System to reflect these changes, effective immediately for federal use.” Â
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis may have been first to use Gulf of America in official documentGov. Ron DeSantis used Gulf of America instead of Gulf of Mexico  his own executive order, the same day Trump signed his order, as a freak winter storm approached Florida.
“WHEREAS, an area of low pressure moving across the Gulf of America, interacting with Arctic air, will bring widespread impactful winter weather to North Florida beginning Tuesday…” DeSantis’ order began, possibly the first official use of the new name in the country.
Can Trump change the name from Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America?
Anyone can suggest to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names that geographic features get renamed, and many have, especially in recent years as federal officials addressed historic place names that were considered offensive to Black and Native Americans.”There must, however, be a compelling reason to change it,” the U.S. Geological Survey said on its website. “Generally, the most important policy regarding names is local use and acceptance.”
Can anyone change the name of a location?
Yes, but there is a process set up by the U.S. Board of Geographic Names.
“You can propose a change to an existing name or spelling, or to correct the location of a named feature,” the agency said on its website.
➤ Common questions on domestic geographic name changes
“However, there must be a compelling reason and evidence of support for the change. The BGN discourages name changes unless there is a compelling reason. Changing a name merely to correct or re-establish historical usage is not in and of itself a reason to change a name.”  Â
Source link : https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2025/02/11/google-maps-updated-to-show-the-gulf-of-mexico-is-now-the-gulf-of-america/78413651007/
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Publish date : 2025-02-11 02:25:00
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