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The Gulf of Mexico has been renamed because the “Gulf of America” on Google Maps.
The rebrand of the oceanic basin – which is shared throughout the U.S., Mexico and Cuba – got here into impact throughout the nation on Monday. Each names seem to Google Maps customers outdoors of the nation whereas, in Mexico, it stays the Gulf of Mexico.
It got here after Donald Trump signed an govt order titled “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness” on his first day in workplace on Janaury 20 after insisting that the the gulf ought to have fun the U.S. fairly than Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico had carried its identify because the seventeenth century.
Google mentioned it could adjust to Trump’s order, however solely as soon as it was up to date on the US Geographic Names System (USGS).
“As we announced two weeks ago and consistent with our longstanding practices, we’ve begun rolling out changes to reflect this update,” the tech big mentioned in a press release on Monday.
“People using Maps in the U.S. will see ‘Gulf of America,’ and people in Mexico will see ‘Gulf of Mexico.’ Everyone else will see both names.”
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Google Maps has modified the identify of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America for U.S. customers (Google Maps)
Although the gulf is shared by a number of nations, Trump mentioned final month that the U.S. does the “most work” on the ocean, and insisted that it ought to bear America’s identify “because it’s ours”.
A jubilant Trump took to Fact Social on Monday night to have fun the Gulf of Mexico’s relabeling, writing: “GULF OF AMERICA!”
The president additionally shared a hyperlink to a White Home assertion recognizing February 9, 2025 “as the first-ever Gulf of America Day”.
“NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim February 9, 2025, as Gulf of America Day,” Trump mentioned.
“I call upon public officials and all the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.”
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Donald Trump signed a raft of govt orders on his first day in workplace on Janaury 20, 2025, together with the Gulf of Mexico identify change (REUTERS)
According to Trump’s order, Google mentioned it could rename the Alaskan peak Denali – the tallest mountain in North America – to Mount McKinley. The mountain bore the twenty fifth U.S. president’s identify till 2015 when the Obama administration modified it as a symbolic gesture to Alaska Natives.
The identify change had not come into impact by Tuesday morning.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration additionally issued a discover Monday noting it could observe each geographical identify modifications.
“Please be advised that the FAA is in the process of updating our data and charts to show a name change from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and a name change from Denali to Mount McKinley,” the FAA mentioned in a press release.
