One of the first things US President Donald Trump did on his return to office for a second term was demand that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed the Gulf of America. And Google has now announced that it will abide by the decision, and rename the ocean basin.
From the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America
One of the many executive orders that President Trump has signed since his return to the White House is focused on “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness.” Starting with changing the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, and Denali to Mount McKinley.
This decision was both celebrated and mocked, depending on people’s politics. However, there has been growing interest in how technology firms would handle the renaming of these well-known geographical landmarks.
Now, thanks to a series of tweets addressing the issue, we know that Google is abiding by the decision, and renaming both the Gulf of Mexico and Denali on Google Maps.
Once the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is updated, Google Maps users in the US will see the body of water named “Gulf of America” and the mountain named “Mount McKinley”. This was the name of Denali until 2015, when President Obama changed it to reflect what Alaskan natives called it.
Most People Will See Both Names on Google Maps
Interestingly, users in Mexico will still see the body of water surrounded by the US, Mexico, and Cuba named “Gulf of Mexico.” And everyone located outside the US and Mexico will see both names next to one another. Supposedly so that they can make their own minds up.
While the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico may feel like a big change, the company claims that it’s standard practice. Essentially, when a name is changed in official government sources, Google follows suit.
Local differences are quite common too, and especially when territorial disputes raise their ugly head. One example cited byReutersis the Sea of Japan, the naming of which has been disputed by both North Korea and South Korea.
As an aside, Apple has yet to declare what it’s going to do on Apple Maps, but we suspect it will follow Google’s lead. But if it doesn’t, it could be another reason toswitch from Google Maps to Apple Maps.
