Bing Maps shows “Gulf of Mexico” rather than “Gulf of America,” which appears on Google Maps and Apple Maps. (Image credit: Microsoft)
With the Gulf of America officially declared as the name for the body of water, arguments ensued over if the name should appear on maps. Apple Maps and Google Maps seem to be shifting gradually and depending on where a user is.
Without comment from Microsoft, I’m not sure if Bing Maps showing “Gulf of Mexico” exclusively is a political statement or a reflection of how frequently the service’s information gets updated. I have reached out to Microsoft about the Gulf of Mexico name debate and how Bing Maps is updated.
How does Bing Maps get its data?
Bing Maps gets information from several sources. A blog post from 2020 explained that using a combination of providers helps the map service evolve over time and provide the best experience. That post explained that all of TomTom’s map and traffic data was to be incorporated into Bing Maps, though I have not found an update regarding the status of that project.
Who names bodies of water?
The US federal government can dictate how the government refers to a body of water. Companies such as Google, Microsoft, and Apple set their own policies. The Gulf of Mexico is not the first body of water to have its name disputed or to have multiple names. For example, the same body of water that appears as the “Sea of Japan” on Google Maps if you’re in Japan will appear as the East Sea if you’re in South Korea.
Google has a blog post from way back in 2008 discussing how it determines the names of bodies of water. That post states:
“Under this policy, the English Google Earth client displays the primary, common, local name(s) given to a body of water by the sovereign nations that border it. If all bordering countries agree on the name, then the common single name is displayed (e.g. “Caribbean Sea” in English, “Mar Caribe” in Spanish, etc.). But if different countries dispute the proper name for a body of water, our policy is to display both names, with each label placed closer to the country or countries that use it.”
I have not found a similar post from Microsoft regarding its naming policies. I’ll update this piece with any information Microsoft shares.
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Publish date : 2025-02-13 06:06:00
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