Google Maps sparks controversy by renaming ‘Gulf of Mexico’ to ‘Gulf of America’ for US users

Google Maps will rename the Gulf of Mexico as the ‘Gulf of America’ for users in the United States, reflecting an official update to the US Geographic Names System. However, users in Mexico will continue to see the original name, while others worldwide will view both names side by side. Alphabet’s Google confirmed the change on social media, highlighting its standard practice of adapting location labels based on recent regional naming disputes.

The name change stems from an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump hours after taking office on 20 January, as part of his pledge to prioritise nationalist symbolism. Alongside this decision, Trump restored the name of North America’s highest peak, Denali, to its previous designation of Mount McKinley. These actions have reignited debates about historical and cultural naming conventions.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum responded light-heartedly, suggesting that North America could be renamed ‘Mexican America’ in reference to an old regional map. Google, which has navigated other geopolitical naming controversies, cited its consistent approach, such as labelling disputed waters as ‘Sea of Japan (East Sea)’, ‘Israel (Palestine)’, or ‘Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf)’ in different regions.

The renaming has sparked mixed reactions, with critics accusing it of unnecessary politicisation and cultural erasure. Google’s application of the changes reflects its policy of balancing local preferences and global clarity in its mapping platform.