Key points
- US users to see ‘Gulf of America’: Google Maps
- Trump ordered the renaming on his first day in office
- International users to see both names
ISLAMABAD: Google Maps has changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to ‘Gulf of America’ for its clients in the United States. It came after an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump the previous month aimed at honouring “American Greatness.”
On his first day in the White House, Trump officially instructed that the gulf be renamed, referring to its importance for the US, according to Russia Today.
He also ordered that Denali, North America’s tallest peak, be given its former name, Mount McKinley – in honor of the 25th president, William McKinley.
Google’s explanation
Google previously explained that it has a “longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources.”
On Monday, in a blog post, Google announced that after the US Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) officially changed ‘Gulf of Mexico’ to ‘Gulf of America’, it will follow suit and update Google Maps to show this change.
Consumers in the US are going to see ‘Gulf of America’, in Mexico, Google will continue to mention it as ‘Gulf of Mexico’.
International users
International clients will see both names: ‘The Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of America. The company explained that it determines the name based on user location settings, according to Russia Today.
ALSO READ: Trump to Rename Gulf of Mexico in Early Executive Orders
Google’s approach is similar to other disputed geographic features, like the body of water between Japan and Korea, labelled as ‘Sea of Japan (East Sea)’ in some international contexts.
However, the renaming of the gulf has been met with criticism. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has said Mexico and the international community will continue to refer to the body of water as the Gulf of Mexico, emphasising that the US “cannot unilaterally change the name of an international body of water” which had been recognized “for centuries.”
The renaming has also been met with pushback in countries like the UK and Canada. They vowed to continue using the original name.
