As of yesterday, Google Maps officially updated how users see the Gulf of Mexico based on their current location. In the U.S., the body of water is now recognized as the Gulf of America.
On January 20th, President Donald Trump signed an executive order mandating that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed the Gulf of America. Complying with the executive order, the United States Geographic Names Information System, a government tool that holds records for over a million domestic geographic features and regions in the U.S., updated that list.
After receiving numerous questions as a result of the executive order, Google came forward with a statement on platform X a week after the order was signed.
“We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources,” said Google on January 27.
Upholding its name-changing practice, Google users on American territory will only be able to view the body of water as the “Gulf of America.” Users in Mexican territory will view it as the “Gulf of Mexico,” and for users outside of both countries, it will be listed as the “Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America).”