**Google Revamps Maps to Change Gulf of Mexico for American Users**
Google has officially revised its Maps platform to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” for users situated in the United States. This modification aligns with an executive order issued by former U.S. President Donald Trump, which called for the renaming of the water body. Nonetheless, users outside the U.S. will continue to see the globally accepted name, “Gulf of Mexico,” which has been in existence since at least 1552.
### **Google Follows Trump’s Directive**
Last month, Google affirmed its intention to adhere to Trump’s mandate, which also encompassed reverting Denali to Mount McKinley. The company initially postponed the updates, referencing its policy of adjusting place names only after formal modifications appear in governmental records.
At the time of Trump’s decree, the U.S. **Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)**, the official federal database for geographical names, had not yet acknowledged the new title. Nevertheless, the executive order imposed a 30-day timeframe for these changes, including the elimination of all mentions of “Gulf of Mexico” from GNIS logs.
### **Updates Now Visible in Google Maps**
With the GNIS now denoting the water body as the **”Gulf of America,”** Google Maps has adjusted accordingly. Users in the U.S. who search for “Gulf of Mexico” on Google or Google Maps will now prominently see the label “Gulf of America.” The search term is also automatically modified to reflect the updated name.
For users outside the U.S., such as those in Australia, queries for “Gulf of Mexico” still produce the original designation, albeit with “Gulf of America” noted in parentheses. Correspondingly, Google Maps identifies the location as “Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America).” However, entering “Gulf of America” outside the U.S. does not automatically focus the map on the gulf; instead, results may include U.S. businesses featuring “Gulf” in their titles.
### **Trump Proclaims “Gulf of America Day”**
On February 9, Trump announced the inaugural **”Gulf of America Day”** to celebrate the renaming. He urged public officials and individuals to recognize the day with “appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities,” even though no specific events or public holidays were disclosed.
### **Denali Name Reversion Still Ongoing**
Curiously, while the Gulf of Mexico has been relabeled on Google Maps, Denali has not yet reverted to Mount McKinley. The GNIS has not updated the mountain’s title, and Google seems to be waiting for official validation before executing the change.
For the time being, the Gulf of America remains a designation specific to the U.S., while the rest of the world continues to acknowledge it as the Gulf of Mexico.