Trump renames Gulf of Mexico as American

Google Maps users in the US will now see “American Gulf” displayed over the body of water that was once called “Gulf of Mexico”. Users in Mexico will continue to see the name Gulf of Mexico, while users in the rest of the world will see both names spelled “Gulf of Mexico (American Gulf)”, reported by The Hill.

Google Maps officially changes the name of the gulf

The change follows President Trump’s order on Jan. 20, his first day in office, to rename the gulf to include the name America. The executive order directed the Department of the Interior to take all necessary steps to officially formalize the change. On Jan. 24, the U.S. Department of the Interior issued a press release saying that the Gulf of Mexico will now officially be called American.

The department said the U.S. Board of Geographic Names is “expeditiously” working to update the names of these features in the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and that the changes “are effective immediately for federal use.” Shortly thereafter, Google said it would officially change the name for U.S. Google Maps users once the name is updated in GNIS.

GNIS officials change name

Google said GNIS officials changed the name to “American Gulf”. Google announced two weeks ago that, in keeping with longstanding practice, they had begun implementing the change to reflect the update. Trump officially designated February 9 as “American Gulf Day.” He also flew over the Gulf that day and acknowledged the name change in comments.

“Today is my first visit to American Gulf since its renaming”, Trump said in a statement. “As my administration restores American pride in the history of American greatness, it is fitting and appropriate that our great nation come together and honor this momentous occasion and the renaming of the American Gulf.”