Google Maps Renames Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America
In a controversial move, Google Maps has officially updated the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America on Monday.
This decision comes as part of President Donald Trump’s executive order issued on the day of his inauguration. Among various other decrees, Trump declared that the Gulf of Mexico would now be known as the Gulf of America. This order also reverses a previous decision by the Obama administration to rename Mount McKinley to Denali, a name long used by Indigenous people. The name Gulf of Mexico has been in use since the 16th century.
President Trump described these changes as a step towards “restoring American pride in the history of American greatness.”
As of Monday afternoon, users of Google Maps in the United States will see the Gulf of Mexico renamed as the Gulf of America. International users will see both names, while users in Mexico will only see the Gulf of Mexico. Google had previously announced its intention to comply with Trump’s order once the changes were reflected in the United States’ Geographic Names Information System.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has expressed concern over Google’s decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico on Google Maps and plans to address the issue with the company. However, Google’s action aligns with its policy of resolving naming discrepancies across different countries. On mobile devices, Google Maps adjusts names based on the user’s location, determined by the operating system, SIM card, and network.
While Google has implemented the name change as per Trump’s directive, Apple has not yet updated the names of the Gulf of Mexico or Denali on its Maps app. Searches for “Gulf of America” on Apple Maps currently yield no results.
Both Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Apple CEO Tim Cook were present at Trump’s inauguration. Cook made a personal donation of $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund, while Google also contributed $1 million.
Update, 2/10/25, 9:30 PM ET with additional information from Google.
