Google Maps Changes Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of United States Following Trump Order

With Trump's Executive Order,
Official U.S. Name Changed to "America" Only
Mexican President: "This Is Wrong"

Google has changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico displayed on Google Maps within the United States to "Gulf of America" in accordance with an executive order by U.S. President Donald Trump.

On the 10th (local time), Google stated in a blog post, "Users in the United States will see the name 'Gulf of America,' while users in Mexico will see 'Gulf of Mexico.' Users in all other countries will see both names." Google also displays different names to users in the respective countries for other disputed regions.

Google explained that the name change aligns with its policy of following the official names designated by the U.S. government. Google Maps uses geographic names provided by the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). The USGS has already changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America following President Trump's executive order.

Earlier, on January 20, the first day of his presidency, President Trump signed an executive order changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America. On February 9, while passing by the Gulf of Mexico to watch the National Football League (NFL) Super Bowl final, President Trump also signed a proclamation designating February 9 as "Gulf of America Day."

Claudia Sheinbaum, President of Mexico City, sent a letter to Google on January 30, criticizing the name change as "wrong" and stating, "If a country tries to change the name of a maritime area, it only applies up to 12 nautical miles within its own territory." She added, "In this case, it cannot apply to the Gulf of Mexico," expressing strong opposition.