Mexican President condemns Google for Gulf of Mexico name change
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum sent a formal letter to Google opposing its decision to comply with Donald Trump’s order to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America”.
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Google Maps will soon rename the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America,” a decision that has faced opposition from Mexican officials.
The change follows an executive order issued by President Donald Trump as part of a series of more than 100 directives signed on Inauguration Day. Among these orders, he also announced plans to rename Denali — officially changed in 2015 — back to Mount McKinley.
Google stated on X that it will update the name once the change is officially recognized in the U.S. Geographic Names System, which could take months or even years.
In a statement issued Jan. 24, the U.S. Department of Interior said it was “proud to announce the implementation of name restorations that honor the legacy of American greatness, with efforts already underway.
“The U.S. Board on Geographic Names, under the purview of the Department of the Interior, is working expeditiously to update the official federal nomenclature in the Geographic Names Information System to reflect these changes, effective immediately for federal use.” Â
This change has faced opposition from Mexican officials, who argue that renaming the Gulf violates international agreements and historical naming conventions.
As a result, Google plans to display the name “Gulf of America” for users in the United States, while retaining “Gulf of Mexico” for users in Mexico. For users in other countries, both names may be displayed.
Is there a way to change the ‘Gulf of America’ label on your phone?
In short, no. Google Maps uses a significant amount of dynamically loaded content, which makes it difficult to manipulate text through simple scripts.
With some research and effort, it could be possible to revert “Gulf of America” to “Gulf of Mexico” on your desktop browser with the right extension and custom JavaScript code. However, because many sites, including Google Maps, use JavaScript to render text dynamically, this can still be a difficult task for browser extensions to handle.
For those seeking a simpler solution, using an alternative mapping service — such as Bing or Apple Maps — could be the easiest way to avoid the change, as these services haven’t yet confirmed the renaming.
Will schools and textbooks change the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America?
The executive order is legally binding for federal agencies and government use, once recognized by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. However, this doesn’t mean the change will be immediate for private companies or international sources.
It’s unlikely that private educational materials will update to reflect the new name in the short term, as the renaming has not yet been universally recognized. Additionally, the name could be subject to change if a future administration decides to rename it again in four years.
If the renaming becomes more widely accepted or codified into law over a longer period, it could eventually influence educational resources, though such changes typically take time. For now, the name change will primarily affect government documents and maps.
This story has been updated to add video.Â