Google Maps Rebrands Gulf of Mexico to 'Gulf of America' Following Trump's Directive.......

In a move reflecting recent political directives, Google Maps has updated its U.S. platform to rename the "Gulf of Mexico" as the "Gulf of America." This change aligns with an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on January 20, 2025, titled "Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness," which mandates the renaming of certain geographical features to honor American heritage.

For users within the United States, the body of water previously known as the Gulf of Mexico now appears as the Gulf of America on Google Maps. In Mexico, the original name remains, while international users see both names, with the traditional "Gulf of Mexico" listed first, followed by "Gulf of America" in parentheses. Google determines which name to display based on user location data from their mobile OS, SIM, network, or desktop search settings.

This renaming has sparked diplomatic tensions, with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announcing plans to send a letter to Google expressing concerns over the change. She emphasized that such alterations legally apply only up to 12 nautical miles from the U.S. coast and urged Google to reconsider its decision.

Other mapping services have responded differently. Apple Maps has not yet adopted this change but redirects "Gulf of America" searches to the Gulf of Mexico. Google-owned Waze displays both names for the Gulf of Mexico but finds no results for searches of "Gulf of America."

This development underscores the complex interplay between political decisions and global digital platforms, highlighting the challenges tech companies face in navigating international naming conventions.

Many are seeing this as the Indian political effect on the US politics. The Indian government after coming to power in 2014 has changed and is changing names of many cities, railway stations, famous buildings, etc which were named after Mughal rulers and Congress Party leaders. They say, “This is a tried and tested formula for Fake Nationalism to infuse in the citizens of a country”.