The Gulf of Mexico has now been changed to The Gulf of America, as of January 10th, for all users using a U.S IP address. The change to the website’s database had been followed due to an executive order by U.S. President Donald Trump renaming the area.

Google has previously mentioned on X, formally known as Twitter and linked on a CNN website, that it has “ a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources. ” ( Campbell , Feb, 10, 25 ).

Google Maps’s new description for the Gulf now reads: “ The Gulf of America, formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico, with an average depth of 5300 ft is a major body of water bordered and nearly landlocked by North America with the Gulf’s eastern, northern, and northwestern shores in the U.S. and its southwestern and southern shores in Mexico. ”

The altered description also notes that the change complies with President Trump’s order, ‘ Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness ‘, which he signed during Inauguration Day.

According to a CBS NEWS article, Google earlier acknowledged that Trump’s executive order would ultimately affect what U.S. users see in their Maps applications, but the company said that this would follow the Board on Geographic Names, which manages federal naming. ( Czachor , Feb, 10, 25 ).

Even thought people accessing Google Maps from within the U.S. will be able to see the name being ‘ Gulf of America ‘, users in Mexico will continue to see it as its previous title. Maps users everywhere else in the world will see both names, Google mentions inside of the CBS NEW article cited from earlier. ( Czachor , Feb, 10, 25 ).