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Google officially changes name of ‘Gulf of Mexico’ to ‘Gulf of America’ for US users after Trump’s executive order

Google Maps has made an official change to the name of the Gulf of Mexico. For users in the United States, the Gulf is now shown as the Gulf of America.

This change follows an executive order signed by former President Donald Trump.

The order led to an update by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), a government database that manages place names.

As a result, US users will now see the Gulf of America on Google Maps, while users in Mexico will still see the Gulf of Mexico. Around the world, both names will appear side by side.

Google explained that it follows a long-standing practice of updating its maps when government sources change official place names. The change was expected after the GNIS made the official update.

Along with the Gulf of America, Google also plans to rename Mount Denali in Alaska to Mount McKinley, following the same executive order.

Mount Denali, the highest peak in North America, was named after the Koyukon Athabascan people. However, it was renamed Mount McKinley in 1917 after President William McKinley. In 2015, President Obama’s administration restored the mountain’s original name.

Trump’s order requires the Secretary of the Interior to update the GNIS within 30 days to reflect these changes.

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