Nearly a month ago, Mexico’s president Claudia Sheinbaum jokingly responded to the idea that incoming US president Donald Trump would rename the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America.” She suggested in response that North America be changed to, “América Mexican” or “Mexican America.” “That sounds nice, no?” she told reporters at a press conference.
After the inauguration on Jan. 20, she was still amused. “For us it is still the Gulf of Mexico, and for the entire world it is still the Gulf of Mexico.”
It’s no longer a joke and Mexico is responding. Trump’s executive order to rename the body of water along the southeast of the US Gulf of America went beyond the United States borders when Google Maps said it would comply by officially changing the name in its software. Google commented in a series of posts on X on Jan. 27 that its software would follow the change after it was implemented by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
Google wrote, “When official names vary between countries, Maps users see their official local name. Everyone in the rest of the world sees both names. That applies here too.”
On Jan. 29, Sheinbaum said in another press conference that her country was sending a letter of complaint to Google about the name change and reiterating that Maps should use América Mexican or Mexican America in favor of North America. In her speech, Sheinbaum said that countries don’t change the names of international bodies of water, it’s up to international organizations.
Google did not immediately respond to a request about Mexico’s letter.