Google has officialized the change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America in its Maps application.
In a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, Google said it would be complying with the name change as part of a long-standing practice of adhering to official government names. The move follows President Donald Trump’s executive order to rename the body of water and the federal Board on Geographic Names formally changing it Monday.
“We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources,” Google said.
The Geographic Names Information System, which is under the United States Geological Survey, provides the names used in Google Maps.
Mount Denali in Alaska is also getting a name change. It is being officially renamed to Mount McKinley following Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order. Google said the change will be implemented “quickly” once the names system is updated.
Other countries will see a different name
The name change for the Gulf of Mexico will be reflected in other regions, as well. According to Google, both “applicable names will be shown.”
“When official names vary between countries, Maps users see their official local name. Everyone in the rest of the world sees both names. That applies here too,” Google said.
An example of this practice is the Sea of Japan, or the East Sea, the name of which has been in dispute between Japan and South Korea. In Google Maps in the United States, the sea is designated as the Sea of Japan (East Sea).
A similar naming procedure is set to be used for the Gulf of Mexico in regions outside the United States.
By Fernando Cervantes Jr. – USA TODAY