Thu 30 January 2025:
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday that her administration will send a letter to US tech giant Google to address President Donald Trump’s executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.”
The executive order was among the first signed by Trump the day after he was sworn in to office.
“We are sending a letter to Google first to tell it: I suppose Google Maps will know about this international division, it will also know which organization is the one that gives the name to the international seas and what would correspond in any case to the continental shelf,” said Sheinbaum, speaking at a press conference.
While she had previously shrugged off Trump’s nationalistic pledge and even jokingly suggested that North America, including the US, be renamed “America Mexicana,” she said Wednesday that the US did not have the right to rename the Gulf of Mexico, as much of it is in international waters.
Google confirmed Monday that it would rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America for its US users.
It will remain the Gulf of Mexico in Mexico, while users outside the US and Mexico will see both names on Google Maps.
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In January 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America,” aiming to honor “American greatness.” This move has sparked significant controversy. Domestically, federal entities like the U.S. Coast Guard and the state of Florida have adopted the new name in official communications. Google Maps announced plans to display “Gulf of America” for U.S. users once federal databases are updated.
Internationally, the change has been met with resistance. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that Mexico would continue to refer to the body of water as the Gulf of Mexico. The United Kingdom also indicated it has no plans to recognize the new name.
Mapmakers and platforms like OpenStreetMap are debating how to handle the renaming, considering factors such as international recognition and user expectations. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names typically discourages name changes without compelling reasons, adding another layer of complexity.
This unilateral decision underscores the challenges of renaming internationally recognized geographic features and highlights the tension between national initiatives and global consensus.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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