If you are in the US, you’ll soon be able to spot the “Gulf of America” on Google Maps.
Google confirms that it will rename the Gulf of Mexico as soon as the change is implemented formally by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
“We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources,” Google says.
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The move comes after President Trump signed an executive order requiring the Secretary of the Interior to rename some “national treasures” in honor of the “contributions of visionary and patriotic Americans” from the nation’s past.
On Friday, the Interior Department complied with Trump’s directive and formally renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and Mount Denali to Mount McKinley. When the Denali change hits the GNIS, Google says it will change that, too.
The gulf’s name will remain unchanged for the people of Mexico, while people in other countries will see both names. “When official names vary between countries, Maps users see their official local name. Everyone in the rest of the world sees both names. That applies here too.”
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It’s unclear if Apple Maps will make the same change. The day after Trump’s inauguration, Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas tweeted at CEO Tim Cook to ask why Apple Maps had not made the change. But as a Community Note affixed to that tweet notes, Trump’s executive order—signed on Jan. 20—gives the Interior Secretary 30 days to make the change.
President Trump signed a slew of executive orders last week, including an effort to stop the government from talking to social media companies about misinformation on their platforms, a 75-day delay on the TikTok ban, and rolling back Biden’s AI safety regulations.
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About Jibin Joseph
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