Google Maps will update the name “Gulf of Mexico” to “Gulf of America” once the U.S. Geographic Names System officially adopts the change, the company announced on X on Monday.
In the U.S., the updated name will be visible on Google Maps, while in Mexico, it will remain “Gulf of Mexico.” In other countries, both names will appear.
This change follows an announcement by the Trump administration’s Interior Department last Friday, declaring the Gulf of Mexico officially renamed the Gulf of America. Additionally, Denali, North America’s tallest mountain, will revert to its previous name, Mount McKinley.
President Donald Trump signed these name changes into effect as part of a series of executive actions shortly after his inauguration on January 20, fulfilling a campaign pledge.
“As directed by the President, the Gulf of Mexico will now officially be called the Gulf of America, and North America’s highest peak will once again carry the name Mount McKinley,” the Interior Department stated.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, earlier this month, humorously proposed renaming North America, including the U.S., as “Mexican America,” referencing an early historic map of the region.
A Google spokesperson, when contacted, referred to the company’s X post for details. Google noted that it applies similar naming conventions in disputed regions. For example, the sea between Japan and South Korea is labeled “Sea of Japan (East Sea)” outside those nations.
Google has faced previous controversies over geographic naming. In 2012, Iran criticized Google for removing the name “Persian Gulf” from its maps, leaving the waterway between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula nameless. It is now labeled “Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf)” in countries outside the region.
