Kuching, 11 February 2025 – If you’re a regular Google Maps user, you may have noticed a surprising change on the map. For US-based users, the iconic body of water known globally as the Gulf of Mexico is now renamed the Gulf of America. This sudden shift came after a controversial executive order signed by former US President Donald Trump.
According to Google, this change follows the company’s long-standing practice of reflecting official updates from government sources. “In the US, users will see ‘Gulf of America.’ In Mexico, it remains ‘Gulf of Mexico.’ Users outside of these countries will see both names,” Google said in a statement on Monday.
The renaming has sparked conversations worldwide, especially among historians and political analysts. The move is part of Trump’s earlier executive order aimed at honouring what he called “American greatness.” This order also reversed another landmark name change—Mount Denali in Alaska, which had been renamed during Barack Obama’s administration to recognise the region’s native heritage. Under Trump’s directive, the peak will revert to its former name, Mount McKinley, though the update hasn’t yet been made on Google Maps.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has begun updating its charts and data to reflect these changes, while the US Coast Guard has already incorporated the term Gulf of America into its official documents.
As expected, these changes have received mixed reactions. Some applaud the decision as a patriotic move, while others criticise it for being unnecessary and politically driven.
Regardless, for Malaysian users of Google Maps, it’s business as usual—you’ll still see Gulf of Mexico unless you’re browsing from the US. For now, these name changes remain a uniquely American update. — CNN
