Google has changed “Gulf of Mexico” to “Gulf of America” on its Maps app for US users, after US President Donald Trump announced the official name change at the federal level.
“As we announced two weeks ago and consistent with our long-standing practices, we’ve begun rolling out changes to reflect this update. People using Maps in the US will see 'Gulf of America' and people in Mexico will see 'Gulf of Mexico',” Google said on its blog. “Everyone else will see both names.”
The company stated its intention to make the change in late January, saying it was policy to adjust names when they have been updated in official government sources.
It added that the names users see are based on country location, which is determined by information from phone operating system, including SIM card, network and locale. For web users, the names are based on the region you select in Search settings or the device’s location.
During Mr Trump's inaugural speech on January 20, he stated his intention to make the change, saying: “America will reclaim its rightful place as the greatest, most powerful, most respected nation on Earth, inspiring the awe and admiration of the entire world.”
He later signed an executive order focused on “restoring names that honour American greatness”, which included the renaming of Alaska's Denali – a name the native Koyukon people have used to refer to the peak for centuries – to Mt McKinley.
“It is in the national interest to promote the extraordinary heritage of our Nation and ensure future generations of American citizens celebrate the legacy of our American heroes,” the order stated.
After Mr Trump first floated the idea ahead of his inauguration, in early January, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum presented a map from 1607 at her morning news conference and proposed her own name change.
“Why don’t we call it Mexican America?” Ms Sheinbaum said, indicating the map's name for the modern US. “It would sound nice, right?”
