Google Maps changes 'Gulf of Mexico' to 'Gulf of America'
What's the story
Google has updated its Maps application, renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" for US users.
The change comes in response to an executive order from US President Donald Trump.
In a blog post, Google clarified that while Mexico will continue to see "Gulf of Mexico," the rest of the world will see the original name with "Gulf of America" in parentheses.
The US will see "Gulf of America."
Policy clarification
Google's policy on geographic name changes
Google's move to rename the gulf comes in line with updates in the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), the official US government source for geographic designations.
The tech giant clarified its policy, saying, "We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources."
This maintains consistency between Google Maps and officially recognized geographic names.
Controversy
Trump administration's renaming decision sparks backlash
The Trump administration's Interior Department officially announced the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico on January 24.
The decision, along with another executive order to change Denali's name back to its former name, Mt. McKinley, has drawn backlash from Indigenous groups in Alaska and strained diplomatic relations with Mexico.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum humorously responded to the changes, proposing a renaming of the United States as "Mexican America."
Update status
Other mapping services yet to reflect name change
While Google Maps has made this change, other mapping services such as Apple Maps and MapQuest are yet to update their platforms.
Searches for "Gulf of America" on Apple Maps still redirect users to the Gulf of Mexico.
Similarly, Google's Waze app shows both names when searching for "Gulf of Mexico" but doesn't recognize "Gulf of America."