Google Maps Lists ‘Gulf of America’ Following U.S. Executive Order
Users of Google Maps in the United States are now seeing the body of water formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico listed as the Gulf of America.
The change follows an executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump, renaming the gulf. Google, in a statement on Monday, reiterated its policy of updating names based on official government sources.
“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,” the company stated.
This is not the first time a geographic name change has been prompted by government action. Last month, Trump also ordered the renaming of Denali, the highest peak in the U.S., back to Mount McKinley. The peak had been renamed Denali in 2015 by former President Barack Obama to honor the indigenous Alaskan name, but as of Tuesday, Google Maps had not yet reflected Trump’s directive.
Trump’s order argued that reinstating McKinley’s name was a tribute to the former president’s legacy, describing his assassination as “an attack on our Nation’s values and our success.” It also drew parallels between McKinley and Trump, particularly in their shared stance on tariffs and economic policies.
Google has not indicated when or if further changes will be made to its map labels globally.
