Google Maps users in the U.S. will now see “Gulf of America” displayed over the body of water that was once labeled the “Gulf of Mexico.”
Users in Mexico will still see the name “Gulf of Mexico,” and users elsewhere in the world will see both names, written as “Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America).”
The change follows President Trump’s directive on Jan. 20, his first day in office, to rename the gulf to include America’s name. The executive order instructed the Department of the Interior to take all steps necessary to make the change official.
The Interior Department on Jan. 24 issued a press release saying that “the Gulf of Mexico will now officially be known as the Gulf of America.”
The department said the U.S. Board on Geographic Names was working “expeditiously” 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 make the name change for U.S.-based Google Maps users once the name was updated in the GNIS.
On Monday, Google said GNIS officials updated the name to “Gulf of America.”
“As we announced two weeks ago and consistent with our longstanding practices, we’ve begun rolling out changes to reflect this update,” Google said in a blog post.
Trump officially made Feb. 9 “Gulf of America Day.” He also flew over the gulf that day and acknowledged the name change in remarks.
“Today, I am making my first visit to the Gulf of America since its renaming,” Trump said in a statement Sunday. “As my Administration restores American pride in the history of American greatness, it is fitting and appropriate for our great Nation to come together and commemorate this momentous occasion and the renaming of the Gulf of America.”
