Nearly a month after President Donald Trump signed an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America, Google officially made the changes. However, there’s a catch.
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In a blog post, Google announced that the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) has updated “Gulf of Mexico” to “Gulf of America.” The company previously stated that it would begin rolling out the changes once the update was complete.
Users of Maps in the U.S. will now see the “Gulf of America.” Users in Mexico will still see the “Gulf of Mexico.” Everyone else will see both names in Maps.
“The names you see in the Maps app are based on your country location,” Google explained. “Which is determined by information from your phone’s operating system (e.g., iOS and Android), including your SIM, network, and locale. If you’re using Google Maps on the web, the names are based on the region you select in your Search settings or your device’s location, if you haven’t selected one.”
Along with the changes in the Gulf of Mexico/Gulf of America, Google stated it would also change the name of Mount McKinley. The U.S.’s highest peak was previously named Denali. Former President Barack Obama renamed the Alaska landmark to Denali in 2015 to pay tribute to the region’s native population.
As of the morning hours of Tuesday, the change hasn’t been made.
President Trump Announced ‘Gulf of America’ and Mount McKinley During His Inauguration Speech
President Donald Trump announced the changes during his second inauguration.
“America will reclaim its rightful place as the greatest, most powerful, most respected nation on earth,” the world leader stated. “Inspiring the awe and admiration of the entire world. “A short time from now, we are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, and we will restore the name of a great president, William McKinley, to Mount McKinley, where it should be and where it belongs.”
President Trump kept his word and signed an executive order officially naming the Gulf of America and Mount McKinley. The Department of the Interior said the name restorations are being implemented to “honor the legacy of American greatness.”
“As directed by the President, the Gulf of Mexico will now officially be known as the Gulf of America,” the department noted. “And North America’s highest peak will once again bear the name Mount McKinley. These changes reaffirm the Nation’s commitment to preserving the extraordinary heritage of the United States and ensuring that future generations of Americans celebrate the legacy of its heroes and historic assets.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a notice Monday regarding the geographical name changes.
“Please be advised that the FAA is in the process of updating our data and charts,” the notice read. “To show a name change from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and a name change from Denali to Mount McKinley.”