Google Maps Renames Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America for U.S. Users

If you’re a Google Maps user in the United States, you might notice a surprising change the next time you scroll south of North America. Google Maps has officially renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America for its U.S.-based users. This change follows an announcement by President Donald Trump during his first week back in office, where he expressed his intention to rename the body of water.

The update went live on February 10, according to Google’s official blog post. The company explains that the adjustment complies with the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), which updated its records on February 9. As a result, Google has followed suit in making the change visible to U.S. users.

For now, users located in the United States will see the name Gulf of America on Google Maps, while those in Mexico will continue to see the Gulf of Mexico. This change hasn’t gone unnoticed, with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum publicly criticizing the decision. Sheinbaum argues that the United States does not have jurisdiction to rename the Gulf and cited international law, specifically the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which limits a country’s territorial waters to 12 nautical miles from its coastline. It remains to be seen if there will be any legal challenges to this renaming.

What Does This Mean for the Rest of the World?

For users outside of the U.S. and Mexico, Google Maps is taking a slightly different approach. To maintain clarity, the Gulf will now appear as the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America) in most countries. This dual naming is likely intended to help non-U.S. users understand the American terminology while still preserving the Gulf of Mexico’s globally recognized name.

What you see on Google Maps will depend on your device settings and location. Mobile users will see the name based on their SIM card, network, and GPS location. Desktop users can change their region settings in Google Search to adjust what appears on the map. For example, U.S. users who prefer to see the Gulf of Mexico name can switch their region settings, but it may affect other local map results.

What About Other Mapping Platforms?

As of now, other mapping services haven’t made the same change. Waze, which is owned by Google, still lists the Gulf of Mexico, though it’s expected to update in the future. Waze has not yet shared any plans regarding the renaming.

Meanwhile, The Verge reports that Apple Maps is sticking with the Gulf of Mexico for now. Even if you search for “Gulf of America” on Apple Maps, the Gulf of Mexico will appear without any indication of the updated name. Apple has not commented on whether it plans to adopt the change or maintain the original Gulf of Mexico name.

This renaming by Google Maps has sparked debates about geographic naming rights, national jurisdiction, and the influence of tech platforms in shaping how we view the world. Whether the Gulf of America name sticks or not, it’s clear that the conversation is far from over.