Google to update Maps following Trump administration’s renaming of Gulf of Mexico
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA — Google has confirmed that it will update Google Maps to reflect the Trump administration’s renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America”, following official government sources.
In a series of posts on social media Monday, Google stated that its longstanding policy is to update geographic names based on changes made by official agencies such as the U.S. Board on Geographic Names and the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
“We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources,” Google said.
The move comes after the Trump administration issued a directive renaming the Gulf of Mexico, a change that has sparked controversy and debate among historians, geographers, and international officials. The Gulf, which borders the United States, Mexico, and Cuba, has been officially recognized as the Gulf of Mexico for centuries.
In addition to updating the Gulf’s name, Google also confirmed it would revert Denali—which was renamed under the Obama administration—to its previous name, Mount McKinley.
Google clarified that its policy ensures users see the official government names in their respective countries. “When official names vary between countries, Maps users see their official local name. Everyone in the rest of the world sees both names,” the company stated.