(AFP) – Google on Monday changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America” for those using its Maps platform inside the United States, complying with an executive order by President Donald Trump. The tech giant wrote in a blog post that users outside the United States will continue to see both the original and new name for the Gulf of Mexico, as is the case for other disputed locations. “People using Maps in the U.S. will see ‘Gulf of America,’ and people in Mexico will see ‘Gulf of Mexico.’ Everyone else will see both names,” Google wrote.
Google said the change aligns with its policy of following official US government geographic designations through the Geographic Names Information System. Upon taking office, Trump signed executive orders not only changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico but also reverting the name of Denali, America’s highest peak, to its former moniker Mt. McKinley. In 2015, then-president Barack Obama officially recognized the Alaska mountain as Denali, the name used by Alaska Natives for centuries.
Trump’s renamings sparked criticism from indigenous groups in Alaska, who have long advocated for maintaining the Denali name, and raised diplomatic concerns with Mexico. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has cheekily suggested calling the United States “Mexican America,” pointing to a map from before one-third of her country was seized by the United States in 1848.
© 2024 AFP
