Google Maps will soon rename Gulf of Mexico to 'Gulf of America'
By: Maxwell Zeff (TechCrunch)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Google will rename the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska's Denali mountain in Google Maps once a federal mapping database reflects changes ordered by the Trump administration, the company announced Monday.
Google is complying with an executive order issued last week by President Donald Trump that changed the names of several American landmarks. The executive order was followed by a statement from the U.S. Department of the Interior, which said the name changes were now official and America's geographic naming bodies were working "expeditiously" to fulfill Trump's order.
"We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources," Google wrote in a post on X.
We've received a few questions about naming within Google Maps. We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources.
— News from Google (@NewsFromGoogle) January 27, 2025
The Gulf of Mexico's name in Google Maps will soon be the "Gulf of America" for U.S. users, an entirely new name created by the Trump administration.
Denali, which is North America's highest peak, will soon show up in Google Maps for all global users as its previous name of Mount McKinley. The Alaskan mountain was named Mount McKinley in 1917 to honor America's 25th president, William McKinley; the peak was renamed Denali during the Obama administration in 2015. The Trump administration is changing it back, despite protests from some Alaskan senators.
However, not everyone in the world using Google Maps will see the Gulf of America.
Geographic names that are contested between different countries show up in Google Maps under each country's official name for their citizens, according to a social media post from Google. That means the Gulf of Mexico's name will not change for Mexican users of Google Maps, where the country's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, mocked Trump for suggesting a new name for the body of water. In other countries, Google Maps will display both America's and Mexico's names for the gulf side by side.
Google says it will make these changes when the official American naming database, the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is updated. Though the Interior Department announced the Gulf of America and Mount McKinley's name changes were official on Friday, GNIS still reflects that both are named the Gulf of Mexico and Denali as of Monday evening.
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It has been the Gulf of Mexico for something like 500 years, and now because a deranged tyrant wants to dictate the name it will be changed by the largest search engine in existence.
We are living in a bizarro twilight zone world.
Google should wait for an act of Congress before considering this official. Even so, the USA does not own the Gulf of Mexico so we have no right to rename it ... and will not succeed in this pointless, impulsive desire of Trump's.
This has been his business model for 50 years. Slap a name change (usually his own) on something that already exists and voila! Brand new, exciting, shiny thing. Isn’t it the greatest thing anyone has ever seen! And you have Trump to thank for it. You’re welcome!
Would this render all existing oil leases null & void?
The upside is that he could have named it the Gulf of Trump.
Who the heck cares if it is known as the Gulf Of Mexico and not Gulf Of America ? Crazy people.
Maybe next he will change the name of Hawaii or San Francisco.
I still think he’s saving that for the Atlantic Ocean.
Actually, when I first saw that total ridiculousness of renaming the Gulf of Mexico, I pondered the thought that he might also rename the Atlantic to be the Ivanka Ocean and the Pacific to be the Barron Sea. He wouldn't use the name Melania because who knows how long she will last as his wife.
Hmm well if we are into renaming things....
I vote the Pacific Ocean should now be renamed Vegemite Ocean...
At least that way you mob won't cross it to my sand bar..🤣
Good thought, that would be his style that way both sides of Florida will have be named after him.
Clever!
Then he will rename the State of Florida to the State of Trump.
Why? Just why?
Why would you actually mention that.... in writing.... on the internet?
There is a non-trivial probability that such an idea had not previously occurred to his minions, who are not the most creative bulbs in the box.
Once it occurs to them to rename geographic landmarks after him, there is no telling where it will end. We'll have Trumphattan. Fort Trumperdale. San Doncisco. Trumperstone National Park. The Trump Ridge Mountains. Tucamtrumpi, New Mexico. Michigan's Trumper Peninsula. Lake Trumphoe. The Rio Trumpe River.
Dear God man, think of the children.
OMG, I didn’t even thing of the children. Duct tape over my mouth.
Why? Just why?
Why" Well its obvious-- Only the Shadow Knows!*
Why would you actually mention that.... in writing.... on the internet?
The human mind is complex-- and often resists attempts to unravel its mysteries!!!
_________________________________________________________
* Apologies to Buzz-- that article is on Wikipedia. Its all about The Shadow (Peace Be Upon Him!)
The children must be renamed (that's the only way we can make America great yet again!
The first child must be re-named "Trumplet Number One". The next child to be renamed "Trumplet Number Two"... and so on...
That is classic. Early nominee for Comment of the Year. Well done.
Uh...none of those names trip over the tongue pleasantly. As a matter of fact I tried sounding them out and my tongue got tied up in knots. I think it's gonna be a week before I can even say my own name. And that's your fault!
If that sounds strange, there is a father who has actually done something even stranger!
X Æ A-Xii (originally X Æ A-12)
Elon Musk and singer Grimes welcomed their first child together on May 4, 2020. Their son was initially called X Æ A-12 , but his name was later changed to X Æ A-Xii .
And then there's this:
Just a month after welcoming a set of twins with Shivon Zilis, Elon Musk and Grimes welcomed a daughter, Exa Dark Sideræl Musk , born via surrogate, in December 2021. The parents nicknamed the child “Y” due to her brother having the moniker “X.”
Techno Mechanicus (aka Tau) . . .
(Article continues HERE)
Are you trying to tell us that Musk is a bigger idiot than Trump? They seem to be pretty evenly matched.
Arvo or better still..
It should be:
Golf of Trump..🏌️♂️
And better still-- by Royal Decree, it will be illegal to refer to golf courses as golf courses. Rether, from now on they must be referred to as "Trump Courses"!
I read a lot of non-fiction and fiction about Henry VIII. You're making him sound like him
Elections have consequences. It's refreshing to know we now have a real president and leader who isn't afraid to use his presidential power to the fullest.
Do they ever. You ended up with an incompetent boob in the White House who is - sometimes illegally - trying to solve problems that aren’t problems. Much of this is thanks to the people of Project 2025 having their hand up his ass.
Wasn't he supposed to bring down the price of bacon and eggs? Weren’t we going to see a concept of a plan for healthcare? That actually matters to people. Instead, this moron is trying to rename everything on the map. This is shit no one asked for. This is not why anyone voted for him.
You find this presidential masturbation refreshing? You been sitting around waiting for the Gulf of Mexico to get a name change? You’re relieved that this ancient imbecile wants to change the name of a mountain?
If this is what you think it looks like using the presidential power to its fullest, you have a pretty low opinion of the office.
Oh that is just fucking wonderful. You applaud a pointless, arrogant use of presidential power. You know there have been plenty of tyrants in history who were not afraid to use their power (to the fullest). Do you applaud them too?
Jesus, what a stupid waste of time and focus.
Alaska wants the mountain to be called Denali . I think that should be the end of the discussion. Alaska asked for the change in the 70s. Even today, most Alaskans (yes, they took a poll ) want it called Denali . The Alaskan senators are asking him to leave it as Denali . But does Trump give a fuck what people who live there want to call it? Hell, no. Fucking typical for him.
There’s really no reason to name it after McKinley. He was from Ohio. Find something in Ohio to name after him.
Does it really fall under the purview of the PotUS to just willy-nilly change the name of anything in particular? Under what authority does he do this? Or is this just a reach to show how much power he has that no-one will gainsay him?
He does NOT have the authority to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico since the USA itself does not own the Gulf of Mexico and has no right to change the name.
He can, through the Secretary of the Interior in concert with the Board on Geographic Names, change names of USA geographical sites such as Denali due to 43 U.S.C. §364 :
This is how Obama changed the name to Denali from Mt McKinley in response to Congress not acting on a 1975 request from Alaska to restore the original name.
Both Republican senators and the congressman from Alaska and basically the whole state has requested that Trump not change the name, since it means nothing to Alaskans where Denali represents thousands of years of Alaskan history.
It’s part of a national park, so yeah, he probably can. Actually, a huge percentage of Alaska is technically federal land.
When Obama changed it to Denali, I don’t think there was an act of Congress attached to it. I’d be glad to be wrong, though.
Just another pointless move where Trump illustrates that he will use and abuse the power the electorate (stupidly) granted him to satisfy his personal whims rather than work for the American people and hold the presidency as a solemn duty.
This will not be a big deal to most people, but other factors such as this illegal and irresponsible federal aid freeze (as one example) will clearly affect many Trump supporters. So will they continue to blindly approve everything Trump does ... even when he is hurting them or family or friends personally? Will they wake up to the fact that they helped empower a scoundrel / tyrant?
What a fundamental failure by the electorate.
see @4.1.1 on the Obama transaction.
Well, really, no one owns the Gulf. It’s mostly international waters. So I suppose it’s fair game for multiple names. And if we were starting fresh, I think “Gulf of America” is not an insane choice. Although, I’m pretty sure Mexico has a longer coastline. But it doesn’t even need to be named for a country. It could be Gulf of Anything. Gulf of Cortés. Gulf of Crabs. Gulf of My Left Nut, etc.
I think there are a number of places around the world - especially bodies of water, straits, channels, seas, whatever - that are known by different names in different countries. I would hope, though, that for purposes of navigation and communication at sea, countries would try to minimize that kind of thing.
Exactly! So this notion that Trump can just unilaterally change the name of the Gulf of Mexico is ridiculous. Not only is this a pointless move, but at best he can only influence the USA's labeling of this body of water.
This is pointless crap by Trump using his powers to satisfy his personal whims rather than responsibly viewing his office as a solemn duty and working on behalf of the people.
I like to name it Gulf of Giggles
Or Gulf of Tacos! Mexico might even be down with that.
I think we can all agree on that one
Apparently President McKinley has never even been there!
In 1896, a gold prospector emerged from the Alaskan wilderness brimming with stories about the frontier, including the sight of a majestic mountain that natives had long called Denali, or "the high one."
The prospector had another idea: name the peak after a Republican from Ohio who was running for president on a platform that included linking American currency to the value of gold.
His name was William McKinley.
The future president had never been to Alaska, and never would go. But the name somehow stuck.
(Cont'd)
I think they should rename the mountain "Mount Bitcoin"!
The name needs to remain Denali. Obama changed it back to the original Indigenous People's name. We always called it Denali when I lived in Alaska and that was way before Obama's time
There is a body of water that has two names. The Persian Gulf.
Most of the world refers to it as that. The Eastern shore is what was called Persia (now called "Iran"). The people there are not Arabs-- they are Persian!
But the Western shore has Arab countries-- and in the Arab world they refer to it as "The Arabian Gulf"!
Question to the board: Could this be one of the many bait and switches Trump / Project 25ers are putting out there for distraction?
You know, typical "Get folks pissy, whiny and complaining about this while we EO that...".
Just a thought
All of this hoopla over bullshit. Is the Gulf owned by Mexico? Positioned and bordered only by Mexico? It borders North America so that name should be changed to reflect just that. Speaking of pissing and whining.......................
This is yet another pointless move by Trump satisfying his personal whims by abusing the power of the presidency and not treating it as a solemn duty to work on behalf of the people. Of course Trump supporters defend everything this irresponsible narcissist does.
I'm still waiting for anyone to tell us why this is a necessary , or even pleasing, change. Normal people are not offended because the Gulf is named for Mexico. Weirdo nationalists are.
It is a gratuitous expression of arrogance by an emboldened and empowered irresponsible narcissist.
One of many.
Yeah... speaking of pissing and whining. Why are the price of eggs still so high? Didn't the Emperor say he'd fix that? Where is his decree this week limiting the price of groceries?
He's currently working on that Avian flu vaccine for the chickies. You know that democrats developed that bird flu to keep the price of eggs high and make trmp look bad, don't you. My BIL said so and he's always right
Bird flu fears and hoarding by consumers because of it. NEXT?
He can change world maps, but can't stop bird flu by decree? OMG!!! He's more impotent than omnipotent. Who knew?
Is that the kind that requires academic research and science or the kind that requires a preacher laying on hands?
Quick someone figure out how to blame this on trump, he has been in office a whole 8 days.
Well with this administration it's probably the laying on of hands since nobody knows squat about science.
Maybe he could bring Paula White back to the White House?
Or porn star Sharon White.
Now where is she going to lay her hands?
She'll be Trump's 4th wife. She's Hungarian.
Making his way thru the former Soviet Bloc, is he?
And of course the ridiculous exaggerations ensue.
Mexico has protested to Google
Then Google should leave it on Maps in Mexico.....Problem solved.
How about Trump NOT engage in pointlessly counterproductive crap like this?
As they should. We have unleashed an irresponsible, empowered narcissist on the world. Now they are stuck dealing with the influence and power of the USA in the hands of a tyrant. No doubt nations are working through all sorts of scenarios to deal with this asshole.
We should rename Mar-a-Lago "Shit Stain". Trump is planning on spending every weekend there. It's going to cost the taxpayers million of dollars, which is why he's doing it. $$$
Why can't anyone here see and understand that what he signed did not say "rename", it said "RESTORE", and the Gulf of Mexico has been the Gulf of Mexico for the past 500 years. What he is doing is contrary to what he has signed.
A Reuters / Ipso poll reveals that 70% of Americans say they disagree with Trump renaming the Gulf Of Mexico. Most of the other 30% are very likely hard core MAGA.
Well the America's existed, in name, since 1507. You have North America, South America, and Latin America surrounding the gulf. Mexico didn't become named until 1821 and therefore since the Gulf of Mexico already existed, the country was named after the gulf. So restore could be the correct term since it was the Gulf of the Americas (or no name at all) for a few years before it was changed. If Mexico wants a gulf named after it, there is a Gulf of California completely within their borders.
Who named America? Who named Florida ?
Who gave Florida its name and what does it mean?
Florida was named by the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León. The name “Florida” comes from the Spanish word “Pascua Florida,” which means “Feast of Flowers” or “Easter Feast.” Ponce de León named the peninsula “La Florida” because he discovered it during the Easter season when the flowers were blooming.
=========================================
Florida is US, not spanish or Mexican, when will we change the name of Florida?
Why is trump acting so foolish? That is my question.
New Orleans was founded in 1718 and named after the Duke of Orleans, Philippe II, who served as Louis XV’s Regent from 1715 to 1723
Oh damn we can't have that.
Surely you're aware that Trump doesn't give a shit what the America Mexicana people think or want, it's what's best for Trump that's the guiding principle,
Please show us the proof that the Gulf of Mexico was EVER recorded on a map as the Gulf of the Americas, because IMO it was more likely to have no name at all until it was specifically named.
A Spanish explorer "discovered" the gulf the same way Columbus "discovered" America. And then he named it.
Why can't anyone here see and understand that what he signed did not say "rename", it said "RESTORE", and the Gulf of Mexico has been the Gulf of Mexico for the past 500 years. What he is doing is contrary to what he has signed.
doesnt matter anyway , people will call it what they will. most people think of it and call it " the gulf ".
i remember a couple yrs back there was a big renaming issue going on to remove culturally derogatory names for places . guess what? the locals STILL use those derogatory names for those places , even if they dont show up on a map.
if i say im going on vacation to the gulf coast , you know somewhat where im going right ?
i think i have even read the mexican president say trump could rename those waters adjacent to the US coast and its continental shelf , whatever he wants , it falls under US jurisdiction and protection and claim . i do think she was being somewhat sarcastic ., but maybe not .
as far as renaming the western US ? it reminds me of the joke of the german pilot landing at a german air port , and having to speak english to the control tower.
when asking why he had to use English , and english voice came back from another pilot , " because you lost the bloody war old chap "
same here , its not americana mexicana , because they lost a bloody war or 2 .
I and my family once spent a vacation on the shores of "The Gulf", in Sarasota, Fla. As for the pilot joke, all pilots for Intenational flights MUST use English. And President Sheinbaum would NEVER have seriously said Trump had the right to rename the Gulf, but she could have said he had the right to personally call it whatever he damn well wanted, but that wouldn't bind anyone else to, except google.
What if everyone compromised and renamed it "The Gulf of the Americas"
How about we leave it as what it has been for the past 450 years and have him find something more productive to use his time on.
Like gutting the government? It would be a whole lot better if he continues to engage in trivial pursuits.
Why even bother? I'm a firm believer in leaving well enough alone. If that idiot want to continue making America Mexicana a world-wide laughing stock give him the rope...
18 hours ago · Rachel Maddow looks at the myriad ways Donald Trump has not only humiliated himself with foolish statements ill-considered ideas, but also embarrassed the United States of …
If Mexico, Cuba, USA, the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), and the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN) all agreed to do so then this is a non-issue.
As it stands, this is simply Trump abusing his power to satisfy his personal whims. It accomplishes nothing good and further harms the USA on the world stage.