Google Maps Adopts Trump's Request and Renames the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America
Google has announced that it will rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America in deference to newly elected US President Donald Trump. The business acknowledged the modification, but pointed out that not all nations will be affected. In particular, it will still be known as the Gulf of Mexico in Mexico, but it will be visible in the United States. In the rest of the world, users will be able to see both names on Google Maps.
After Donald Trump took office on January 20, he signed an order renaming the landmark, which is why Google changed its name. The US president defended the move as a "tribute to America's national identity." The Interior Department confirmed that the Gulf of Mexico will be known as the Gulf of America in official documents.
Google justified the decision in a letter saying, "We have a practice of applying name changes when they are updated in official government sources" to respect official local names.
This change has sparked controversy and conflict between the two countries, given that the Gulf of Mexico is an ocean basin bordered by the coasts of Mexico, the United States, and Cuba. In Mexico, the states that have a coastline on this gulf are Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, and Yucatán, while in the United States, the states concerned are Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas.
In addition to the Gulf Coast renaming, the Trump administration also decided to return North America's tallest mountain to its former name, "Mount McKinley," in honor of former President William McKinley (1897-1901). During the Barack Obama administration, the mountain was renamed "Denali," a name of indigenous origin.
On the other hand, and in light of this dynamic of changing American names, the billionaire close to Trump, Elon Musk, proposed renaming the “English Channel” as the “George Washington Channel,” in honor of the first president of the United States.