Google Maps plans to change ‘Gulf of Mexico’ to ‘Gulf of America’

Territory shared between Mexico, the US and Cuba

States and provinces with coastline on the Gulf

It has been called the 'Gulf of Mexico' since the 16th century

The Board may approve or reject new names

Name change on Google Maps

Google has confirmed it will rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America on Google Maps, after an executive order from Donald Trump to change it was issued on January 20, several media reported.

How will other countries see the name?

However, it will remain the Gulf of Mexico in Mexico, while users outside of the US and Mexico will see both names on Google Maps, The Guardian reported.

Google’s policy

“We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government,” said Google in a post on X.

Rivalry between neighbors

When Trump announced his intention to rename the Gulf of Mexico prior to being sworn in, it sparked the ire of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Mexican America?

Sheinbaum replied to Trump's initial announcement about the renaming saying: "Why don't we call the United States Mexican America? It sounds nice, doesn't it?" while showing a map from 1607 in which part of the United States belonged to Mexico.

As stated in an old constitution

Sheinbaum added that in 1607, the Constitution of Apatzingán called that territory ‘Mexican America’. “ So, we are going to call it that,” she said jokingly, according to Mexican media reports.

Territory shared between Mexico, the US and Cuba

The Gulf of Mexico is an ocean basin contained between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, shared by the eastern coasts of Mexico, the southeastern United States and western Cuba.

States and provinces with coastline on the Gulf

Five Mexican states and five US states have coastlines on the Gulf, as well as two Cuban provinces. These are: Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche and Yucatán in Mexico; Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas in the US; and the Cuban provinces of Pinar del Río and Artemisa.

International border limit agreements

There are international maritime border delimitation agreements established by organizations such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea between the United States, Mexico and Cuba.

Photo: Thomas Vimare/Unsplash

It has been called the 'Gulf of Mexico' since the 16th century

The name first appeared on European maps in the 16th century and has been used for more than 400 years, a fact that Sheinbaum also presented in her mocking response to Trump.

An unilateral decision

Trump, however, has decided to change the name unilaterally: without the approval of the other countries who share the enclave (Mexico and Cuba).

United States Board on Geographic Names

This was possible because in the United States there are mechanisms for renaming places recognized by the federal government, such as the United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN).

Establish and maintain use of names

The purpose of the BGN is to establish and maintain the uniform use of geographic names throughout the federal government.

The Board may approve or reject new names

And although the Board does not create names for geographic places, it can approve or reject new names proposed by federal agencies, state or local governments, and even the public.

Different countries, different names

Moreover, this is not the first example of a border place having a different name for the two countries…

Rio Grande or Rio Bravo

The river that runs along the border between the United States and Mexico, and one of the most dangerous crossings for migrants, is known as the Rio Grande to Americans, but Mexicans call it Rio Bravo.

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