The Gulf of Mexico received its official name change to Gulf of America on Google Maps for US-based users through an executive order from former President Donald Trump. Google implements geographical name updates based on official government sources according to its policy.
Trump initiated this renaming through an executive order to honor American greatness, which he enacted soon after becoming president. The executive order issued by Donald Trump reversed the 2015 decision of Barack Obama to restore Denali’s Indigenous name by renaming it Mount McKinley. The Mount McKinley renaming change has not been carried out by Google as of Tuesday.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has started modifying its data and charts to incorporate the updated names as per their recent confirmation. The US Coast Guard initiated the process of adding “Gulf of America” to its maritime navigation notices.
Some users perceive the name changes as a patriotic act, but others view them as pointless political actions. The critics believe renaming the Gulf of Mexico overlooks its historical and geographical value since it borders both Mexico and multiple Central American nations.
Google users have observed modifications to Google Calendar that removed the default display of events, including Pride Month and Black History Month. The modification has generated controversy because some users believe Google diminishes diversity. A Google spokesperson stated that the modification came from a general calendar update initiative to maintain consistency between different global regions. These modifications in historical and cultural identity debates reveal how politics interacts with technology to shape national identity.
