Key Points
- Following a US government decision, Google Maps will rename the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America.”
- The change will only appear after the US Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) updates its records.
- The renaming follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump and a subsequent announcement by the US Interior Department.
- Users in the US will see “Gulf of America,” while users in Mexico will continue to see “Gulf of Mexico.” International users will see both names.
Google Maps is set to rename the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America” in an upcoming update, following a recent decision by the US government. However, the change will not be immediately visible to users.
We’ve received a few questions about naming within Google Maps. We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources.
— News from Google (@NewsFromGoogle) January 27, 2025
According to a series of tweets from the News from Google account, the update will only roll out once the US Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), the federal standard for geographic nomenclature, reflects the new name. This aligns with Google’s longstanding practice of adopting name changes only after they are officially updated in government resources.
The decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump last week. On Friday, the US Interior Department confirmed that the body of water is now officially designated the “Gulf of America.” Google Maps will implement this change for users in the United States, but it will retain the name “Gulf of Mexico” for users in Mexico. The app will display both names for users outside countries to reflect the differing official designations.
Google also announced another change tied to the GNIS update: the highest mountain peak in North America, currently known as Denali—a name given by Alaskan Natives—will be renamed Mount McKinley on Google Maps. This change has sparked controversy, as Denali was officially restored as the peak’s name in 2015 after decades of being called Mount McKinley.
The tech giant emphasized that its policy is to display official local names when they vary between countries. This practice has been applied to other regions with naming disputes, such as the Sea of Japan, which South Korea also refers to as the East Sea. By adhering to this approach, Google aims to maintain neutrality in geographic naming conventions while respecting official government designations.
The renaming of the Gulf of Mexico and Denali highlights the intersection of technology, politics, and cultural heritage. While the changes reflect official US government decisions, they also underscore the complexities of geographic naming in a globally connected world.
