One of the initial steps taken by President Donald Trump after his inauguration last week was the signing of an executive order to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” and Denali to “Mount McKinley.” In reaction, Google has declared that it will comply with this order, adjusting the names of these geographic features in its Google Maps service.

While Trump’s executive order formally alters the U.S. government’s position on the names of the Gulf of Mexico and Denali, it does not compel private entities to make the changes. Nonetheless, Google confirmed in a post on X (previously Twitter) that it would rename these landmarks in its Maps application.

“We’ve received several inquiries about naming in Google Maps,” Google mentioned in its post, emphasizing that its practice is to revise names based on official government sources. This clarification followed questions, including some from Mashable, concerning the company’s response to the executive order.

The U.S. government’s Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), which standardizes geographic feature designations nationwide, has yet to update its records to reflect the modifications required by Trump’s executive order. As of Monday, the GNIS still lists the Gulf of Mexico and Denali by their original names. However, the executive order includes a 30-day timeline for executing the name changes, mandating that all mentions of the Gulf of Mexico be changed.

Google has indicated that it will await the GNIS to update its records before applying the changes on Google Maps. “Once that occurs, we will swiftly update Google Maps in the U.S. to display Mount McKinley and Gulf of America,” the company stated.

The name updates on Google Maps won’t be exclusive to U.S. users. Instead, the names “Gulf of America” and “Mount McKinley” will be visible to users globally. This is in line with Google’s policy of adhering to the official name of a landmark in the respective country. For example, since Denali is located entirely within U.S. territory, it will probably be renamed “Mount McKinley” internationally.

However, the situation is more intricate for the Gulf of Mexico, as it is bordered by Mexico and Cuba alongside the U.S. While U.S. users of Google Maps are likely to see the gulf referred to as the “Gulf of America,” international users might encounter both names, reflecting its internationally acknowledged title as the “Gulf of Mexico.”

This strategy highlights Google’s commitment to balancing local naming practices with international norms. “When official names differ between countries, Maps users will see the official local name,” Google clarified. “Everyone else globally will see both names. This is applicable here as well.”

As developments unfold, Google Maps users can anticipate updates that will reflect the U.S. government’s official naming adjustments. Mashable has contacted Google for additional comments on this topic.