Google announced on Monday that it will update the name of the Gulf of Mexico to "Gulf of America" in its Maps app, following changes to official government sources by the Trump administration. The tech giant also revealed plans to revert the name of Alaska's highest peak from Denali back to "Mount McKinley."
The decision comes after President Donald Trump signed a series of executive actions last week, including an order to update official maps and federal communications with these name changes.
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In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Google explained its policy: "We’ve received a few questions about naming within Google Maps. We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources."
The company clarified that the name "Gulf of Mexico" will continue to appear for users in Mexico, while users in other countries will see both names displayed.
"When official names vary between countries, Maps users see their official local name," the company said. "Everyone in the rest of the world sees both names. That applies here too."
Justifying the name for Mount Denali in Alaska, Trump said he will restore it to its previous name of Mount McKinley because former president William McKinley had made the U.S. "very rich through tariffs and talent.”
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In order for Google to enforce the changes in its app Google Maps, the official updates from the Geographic Names Information System need to take effect.
Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum reacted by suggesting sarcastically to rename North America as "América Mexicana" or "Mexican America" - the original name of the continent.
No other world leaders commented on Trump's decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico.
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