Google Maps has announced it will follow US President Donald Trump's executive order of renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
Google Maps has announced it will follow US President Donald Trump's executive order of renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
Google Maps will make the controversial move to rename the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America following US President Donald Trump’s executive order.
Last week President Trump made a range of sweeping executive orders hours into his second term, one of which will require the federal government to change the name of the Gulf on official maps.
While the move could take months, Google has announced it is ready to also make the change on its Google Maps app.
The tech giant took to social media to announce the change, saying the app will be updated when the US government officially roles out the controversial change.
“We’ve received a few questions about naming within Google Maps,” the company said on X.
“We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources.”
US President Donald Trump has signed a range of executive orders pertaining to issues including crypto currency, renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, artificial intelligence, and clemency for anti-abortion activists.
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Google explained those in Mexico will still see the name Gulf of Mexico, and users in the US will see the name Gulf of America.
They also confirmed the rest of the world would see both names.
“Also longstanding practice: When official names vary between countries, Maps users see their official local name,” Google said.
“Everyone in the rest of the world sees both names. That applies here too.”
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.
The company announced they would also change the name of the tallest peak in North America, Alaska’s Denali, back to Mount McKinley following Trump’s executive order.
Mount McKinley was renamed to Denali nearly 10 years ago under Barack Obama’s presidency.
The Gulf of Mexico, which is the ninth largest body of water in the world according to National Parks Services, has held its name since the 1600s.
The renaming of the Gulf appears to be high on Trump’s priority when he spoke about reclaiming “America” as the great nation on Earth during his inaugural address on January 20.
“America will reclaim its rightful place as the greatest, most powerful, most respected nation on Earth, inspiring the awe and admiration of the entire world,” Trump said at the time.
“A short time from now, we are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.”
In response, Mexico’s president Claudia Sheinbaum poked fun at Trump’s decision, sarcastically suggesting they’d rename North America as “América Mexicana” or “Mexican America”.
“He says that he will call it the Gulf of America on its continental shelf. For us it is still the Gulf of Mexico, and for the entire world it is still the Gulf of Mexico.”
