Google Maps will change Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America after Trump order
Google Maps has announced plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico to ‘Gulf of America’ after Donald Trump’s executive order in the White House.
It was one of the Republican’s first calls as US president hours after being sworn in at the Capitol for a second time.
‘President Trump is bringing common sense to government and renewing the pillars of American civilization,’ it said.
The tech company said it had a ‘longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources’ in a statement on X.
The change is set to be visible for users in the US only and will remain Gulf of Mexico in Mexico.
Outside of the US and Mexico, Google Maps users will be able to see both names.
A similar change will also happen with North America’s tallest peak after Trump’s order.
Alaska’s Denali will be changed back to Mount McKinley, almost 10 years after it was renamed during Barack Obama’s presidency.
Trump’s orders have caused a lot of controversy. He made the promise as part of his presidency campaign, tapping into US nationalism.
‘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,’ he said days before the inauguration.
‘A short time from now, we are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.’
It was his latest suggestion to redraw the map of the Western Hemisphere.
Trump has also repeatedly referred to Canada as the ’51st State’ and alsodemanded that Denmark consider ceding Greenland.
Mexico’s president Claudia Sheinbaum earlier this month jokingly said that North America, including the US, be renamed ‘Mexican America’ – a historic name used on an early map of the region.
Google has applied the same locale-based labeling conventions to other locations subject to naming disputes.
Outside of Japan and South Korea, the body of water bordering the two nations is listed as the ‘Sea of Japan (East Sea).’
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