The Gulf of Mexico has been renamed as the “Gulf of America” on Google Maps.
The rebrand of the oceanic basin – which is shared across the U.S., Mexico and Cuba – came into effect across the nation on Monday. Both names appear to Google Maps users outside of the country while, in Mexico, it remains the Gulf of Mexico.
It came after Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness” on his first day in office on Janaury 20 after insisting that the the gulf should celebrate the U.S. rather than Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico had carried its name since the 17th century.
Google said it would comply with Trump’s order, but only once it was updated on the US Geographic Names System (USGS).
“As we announced two weeks ago and consistent with our longstanding practices, we’ve begun rolling out changes to reflect this update,” the tech giant said in a statement on Monday.
“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.”
Google Maps has changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America for U.S. users (Google Maps)
Even though the gulf is shared by multiple nations, Trump said last month that the U.S. does the “most work” on the sea, and insisted that it should bear America’s name “because it’s ours”.
A jubilant Trump took to Truth Social on Monday evening to celebrate the Gulf of Mexico’s relabeling, writing: “GULF OF AMERICA!”
The president also shared a link to a White House statement recognizing February 9, 2025 “as the first-ever Gulf of America Day”.
“NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim February 9, 2025, as Gulf of America Day,” Trump said.
“I call upon public officials and all the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.”
Donald Trump signed a raft of executive orders on his first day in office on Janaury 20, 2025, including the Gulf of Mexico name change (REUTERS)
In line with Trump’s order, Google said it would rename the Alaskan peak Denali – the tallest mountain in North America – to Mount McKinley. The mountain bore the 25th U.S. president’s name until 2015 when the Obama administration changed it as a symbolic gesture to Alaska Natives.
The name change had not come into effect by Tuesday morning.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration also issued a notice Monday noting it would observe both geographical name changes.
“Please be advised that the FAA is in the process of updating our data and charts to show a name change from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and a name change from Denali to Mount McKinley,” the FAA said in a statement.
