American President Donald Trump expressed his satisfaction yesterday, Monday, that Google Maps changed the name of the “Gulf of Mexico” to “Gulf of America,” following the executive order he signed immediately after returning to the White House in late January.
Now, Google Maps refers to the gulf located in the southeastern United States, in the sea between Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Mexico, and Cuba with the new name -but only for users within the U.S.
Users in Mexico still see the name “Gulf of Mexico,” as preferred by the Mexican government, while users in other countries see both names: “Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America),” a tactic that Google Maps follows for disputed areas.
Trump’s Statement on Truth Social
Meanwhile, Trump enthusiastically wrote “GULF OF AMERICA,” on Truth Social, accompanying his post with a screenshot from Google Maps and a link to the announcement he made on Sunday, designating February 9 as “Gulf of America Day.”
The official White House account on X also posted the message: “GULF OF AMERICA on @GoogleMaps.”
Google’s Account of the Issue
Google explained in late January that location name changes are based on official government sources, in this case, the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
On Apple’s map application, the rival of Google Maps, the name remains “Gulf of Mexico.”
Trump had described the gulf as an “integral part of America” just hours after returning to the White House on January 20. He considers it vital for U.S. oil production and fishing and sees it as “the preferred destination for American tourism and recreation.”
In response to the move, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has suggested renaming the U.S. to “Mexican America,” referencing a 17th-century map where a large part of North America was labeled with that name.
Trump has also stated that he wants to rename the highest peak in North America, located in Alaska at 6,190 meters, back to Mount McKinley. In 2015, then-U.S. President Barack Obama had renamed the peak to Denali following a request from Indigenous groups.
