On Monday, Google Maps made the official change to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.
On his inauguration day, President Donald Trump issued an executive order mandating the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. This action also overturned a previous decision made during the Obama administration to change the name of Mount McKinley back to Denali, which has long been used by Indigenous communities. Meanwhile, the name Gulf of Mexico has been in common use for this body of water since the 16th century, making the change noteworthy for historical context. Source
The president explained that these name changes are aimed at “[restoring] American pride in its historical achievements.”
As of Monday afternoon, United States users on Google Maps will see the Gulf of Mexico labeled as the Gulf of America. International users will have access to both names, while users in Mexico will continue to see only the Gulf of Mexico. Earlier in January, Google indicated that it would adhere to Trump’s executive order once updated in the United States’ Geographic Names Information System.
The President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, announced her intention to reach out to Google with a letter expressing her concerns regarding the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico on Google Maps. However, Google’s choice to alter the Gulf’s name aligns with its established practices for addressing naming variations across different countries. The platform customizes its Maps experience based on the user’s geographical location identified by the operating system, SIM card, and network used.
While Google has complied with Trump’s directive, Apple has not yet made the changes to the names of the Gulf of Mexico or Denali in its Maps application. A search for “Gulf of America” in Apple Maps yielded no results.
Both Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, and Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, were present at Trump’s inauguration; Cook contributed $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund, while Google also made a donation of the same amount.
Updated on 2/10/25, 9:30 PM ET with additional information from Google.
Compiled by Techarena.au.
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