Google Maps to rename Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America after Trump order
Google says it will take its cue from the US government and change the names of the Gulf of Mexico and Denali – the highest mountain in North America – on its maps in the United States.
The company said it would make changes when the government updates its official listings, following orders from President Donald Trump to rename the waters bordering the southern United States, Mexico and Cuba the Gulf of America, and revert the mountain’s name to Mount McKinley.
“We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources,” Google said in a post on X.
Alternative reality: Google Maps users in the US are set to see the name “Gulf of America” on their screens after Donald Trump’s order.Credit: Google Maps
The company said its maps would reflect any updates to the Geographic Names Information System, a database of more than 1 million geographic features in the United States.
“When that happens, we will update Google Maps in the US quickly to show Mount McKinley and Gulf of America,” Google said.
The gulf will retain its current name for Mexican users while those outside the US and Mexico will see both names, Google said on X.
Denali is the mountain’s preferred name for Alaska’s indigenous population. Then-president Barack Obama ordered it to be changed in 2015 from its previous name, which was a tribute to former president William McKinley. It was designated in the late 19th century by a gold prospector.
Denali reflected on Wonder Lake in Denali National Park in Alaska.Credit: iStockphoto
News agency the Associated Press said it would refer to the Gulf of Mexico by its original name, which it has carried for 400 years, while acknowledging the name Gulf of America.
AP will, however, use the name Mount McKinley instead of Denali because the mountain lies solely in the United States, and as president, Trump has the authority to change federal geographical names within the country.
It comes as a new Reuters/Ipsos poll has found Americans have a dim view of some of Trump’s early barrage of executive orders, including his decision to rename the gulf.
Seventy per cent of respondents opposed the renaming. Only 25 per cent supported the idea, with the rest unsure.
Overall, the poll showed 45 per cent of Americans approved of Trump’s performance as president, down slightly from 47 per cent in a January 20-21 poll. The share who disapproved was slightly larger at 46 per cent, an increase from 39 per cent in the prior poll.
The poll had a margin of error of about 4 percentage points.
Voters more generally remain deeply concerned about the high price of food, housing and other necessities, the poll found.
AP, Reuters