Google and Apple have updated their Maps apps to reflect the renaming of the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America” after the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) made the official change.
Google Maps users in the U.S. will now see “Gulf of America,” while those in Mexico will continue to see “Gulf of Mexico.” In other countries, both names will appear. Google stated that the displayed name depends on a user’s SIM card, network, and location settings. Apple Maps is also implementing the change, with U.S. users seeing “Gulf of America” starting today and a global rollout planned soon.
The renaming follows an executive order signed by former President Trump directing the Interior Department to rename certain national landmarks. Along with the Gulf of Mexico, Mount Denali has been renamed Mount McKinley. However, the updated name for Denali has not yet appeared on Google or Apple Maps. Both companies have said they will apply the change once GNIS updates its records.
