Google has recently announced that it will change the name in Google Maps from "Gulf of Mexico" to "Gulf of America." The company stated that both names will be visible depending on the location from which the search is conducted. This practice of showing official local names when they vary between countries has been applied for a long time.
The name change was first announced by former U.S. President Donald Trump on January 6, during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago. Trump affirmed the modification, which was eventually reflected in one of the decrees signed at the beginning of his term. However, this modification only applies to official documents in the United States.
According to historical records presented by Alfonso Suárez del Real, communication advisor to the Presidency, the concept of "Mexican America" first appeared in 1607 on a map created by a Flemish cartographer for the Amsterdam Company of Indies. The Gulf of Mexico was considered a crucial nautical point for navigation starting in the 17th century.
Google has stated that it will follow this update in Maps based on government information about new nomenclatures. Once the U.S. Department of the Interior officially publishes the changes in the GNIS, Google Maps will be updated. Users in Mexico will continue to see "Gulf of Mexico," while outside of the United States it will be shown as "Gulf of America."
José María Morelos y Pavón, in the Constitution of 1814 in Apatzingán, also referred to the "Freedom of Mexican America." The company claims that this practice of changing names in Google Maps is based on official and governmental information. All users in the rest of the world will be able to see both names on the map.
