‘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 United States and Google and Apple have officially updated maps to the Gulf of America.
President Donald Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America in an executive order signed on his first day in office. (He also change the name of Denali, a mountain in Alaska, back to Mount McKinley.)
The changes will only apply to maps in the United States of America, and the Trump administration is working to enforce use of the updated name. This week, the White House reportedly kept a news reporter out of an executive order signing event over the company’s style choice.
On Sunday, Trump also designated Feb. 9 the “first ever” Gulf of America Day, saying there should be celebrations. (There’s already at least one site selling merchandise with the new name.)
Here’s what we know so far about the changes and plans for the future.
What is Gulf of America Day?
While flying to attend the Super Bowl in New Orleans, Trump announced that Feb. 9 will be Gulf of America Day to honor his first time visiting the body of water since renaming it.
“I call upon public officials and all the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies and activities,” Trump said.
Why was a reporter kept out of a Trump event?
An Associated Press journalist was reportedly barred from an executive order signing in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Feb. 11. The organization said the Trump administration argued with its style usage, which was to keep using Gulf of Mexico while referencing the new name.
The White House Correspondents’ Association protested the move, as did AP. Eugene Daniels, a Politico White House correspondent and MSNBC political analyst who serves as the WHCA president, addressed the move in a post on x.com, saying it’s wrong to penalize journalists over editorial decisions.
Lauren Easton, vice president of corporate communications for AP also released a statement that reads, in part: “It is alarming that the Trump administration would punish AP for its independent journalism. Limiting our access to the Oval Office based on the content of AP’s speech not only severely impedes the public’s access to independent news, it plainly violates the First Amendment.”
Several news organizations, including Reuters, call it the Gulf of Mexico and plan to provide information about the change on U.S. maps.
When did Trump announce the name change of Gulf of America?
“We’re going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which has a beautiful ring,” Trump said in a Jan. 7 news conference at his his Florida home at Mar-a-Lago. “That covers a lot of territory. The Gulf of America, what a beautiful name. And it’s appropriate.”
Changes created under the “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness” executive order were go into effect within 30 days, according to the text.
Do other countries have to call it the Gulf of America?
Short answer, no.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum has said they will ignore it and even asked Googled not to rename it.
“If a country wants to change the designation of something in the sea, it would only apply up to 12 nautical miles. It cannot apply to the rest, in this case, the Gulf of Mexico. This is what we explained in detail to Google,” Sheinbaum said in a January news conference.
Every country doesn’t have to agree to the same names. There are workarounds.
If two or more countries use different names for a body of water, Google Earth uses both and designates which country prefers each option. For example, South Korea’s East Sea and Japan’s Sea of Japan are the same body of water.
Who says what names go on world maps?
In the U.S., the U.S. Board on Geographic Names determines what places go on government maps. It uses local names and often uses one preferred by the most people locally.
The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names helps countries standardize names similarly at the global level.
Mississippi lawmaker wanted to rename the Gulf
In 2012, Rep. Steve Holland, D-Plantersville, introduced a bill at the state level to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.” Holland reportedly said he was poking fun at anti-immigration talking points. The bill was unsuccessful.
What country has the most land bordering the Gulf of Mexico?
The coastline runs from the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico to Cape Sable, Florida.
Mexico has more miles along the coast with 1,743 miles compared with 1,680 miles for the United States of America.
The five U.S. states on its coast are Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Texas. (Mississippi has about 62 miles of coast.)
Mexican states border the Gulf, including: Campeche, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Veracruz and Yucatan. Cuba also has some coastline facing the Gulf.
Why is the Gulf so important to the United States?
The Gulf region accounts for about 14% of crude oil production in the country. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, in 2023, the U.S. produced about 21.91 million barrels of crude oil per day, accounting for 22% of the world total. More than 48% of petroleum refining capacity and 51% of natural gas processing capacity in the nation is along the coast.
Trump’s order to rename the area noted tourism and recreation as top draws to the Gulf.
That executive order also noted fisheries, including snapper, shrimp, grouper and stone crab in addition to thriving ports.
Contributing: Trevor Hughes, Gabe Huari, Reuters
Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with Gannett/USA Today. Email her at [email protected].
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Publish date : 2025-02-12 04:25:00
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