Geographical names carry immense cultural, historical, and political values. Often these names symbolize the stories and personas of countries and their governments. Just recently, United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order that renames the “Gulf of Mexico” into the “Gulf of America” within the American borders. Responding to the order, Google Maps announced the updating of the U.S. edition.

President Trump signed on January 20, 2025, an executive order directing that the Gulf of Mexico should now be referred to as the Gulf of America. It forms part of the larger strategy for “renewing the pillars of American civilization.” The other included in this list is Denali, previously Mount McKinley of Alaska, back to the name of origin. 

The U.S. Department of the Interior has confirmed that the U.S. Board on Geographic Names is streamlining the process to update federal nomenclature in the GNIS to effect this change. After such updates have been implemented, federal agencies, as well as platforms such as Google Maps, will embrace the new names for their respective U.S. variations.

The official sources for place names on Google Maps are the governments. Google said that it will make an update in the U.S. maps, showing “Gulf of America” when the GNIS implements the change.

But for international users, the old and new names will both be included to ensure that all around the world will know that the name had been changed. Mexican users will still view the “Gulf of Mexico” because of sharing geography and history. 

Historical Background for the Nomenclature of the Gulf

This water body today identified as the Gulf of Mexico had a number of historical names. When first discovered, it was described as the “Sea of the North,” “Gulf of Florida,” and even the “Gulf of New Spain.” The usage of the “Gulf of Mexico” caught widespread usage by the mid 17th century. The name had gained international acceptance at the time

The renaming has elicited mixed reactions in both national and international arenas. Officials in Mexico are against the name change, arguing that the “Gulf of Mexico” nomenclature is several centuries old, serving the continent’s various maritime navigation infrastructures.

The United Kingdom states that it will not recognize the name change unless it becomes predominant in common usage

Reactions in the United States are mixed. Change is seen as a rededication to national pride by some, but others in the United States believe it unnecessary and maybe confusing. The Denali name reversal to Mount McKinley again opened up debates on whether indigenous place names and the old heroes are of significant importance

The process of implementing such a massive nomenclature change will result in some operational hassles. It will certainly be required to update materials by cartographers, educational institutions, and businesses. 

Digital platforms such as Google Maps can implement changes relatively quickly. Physical maps and educational resources may take slightly longer to change. Furthermore, the new name may not be easily recognized or accepted globally, which would result in some inconsistencies within global communications and navigation.

source: Reuters