A resident in Washington, D.C., might refer to it one way, while someone in Mexico City could have a completely different name for it.

The debate over the name of the vast aquatic region next to the U.S., Mexico, and Cuba began after President Donald Trump issued an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.

Regardless of the name used, this gulf carries a deep historical significance. It was formed countless millennia before Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, or anyone else had the chance to name it. Its massive volumes of water continue to flow ceaselessly. The shrimp here remain delicious, even if not everyone consumes them.

Here’s what you should know about the gulf amidst Trump’s proposed name change, Google Maps’ response, and the ongoing speculation about the final naming decision.

The ‘Hot Tub of Despair,’ Age-Old Salt Deposits, and WWII Relics

The names assigned to the gulf hardly correlate with the unusual occurrences happening beneath its surface, featuring hazardous pools and coral ecosystems.

This region is home to ancient salt deposits, some located near cold seeps—where hydrocarbons trapped under the seabed release through columns of bubbles.

The combination of these bubbles and salt formations results in brine that is four times saltier than ocean water, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). A few species, like mussels and tube worms, have adapted to the extreme salinity.

For many other creatures, however, the environment is incredibly toxic.

One particular pool, seated 3,300 feet underwater, has been nicknamed the “Hot Tub of Despair,” due to its temperature of 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit). It poses a deadly threat to numerous marine animals, according to Ocean Exploration materials.

The NOAA estimates that the gulf serves as a resting place for approximately 4,000 shipwrecks.

Among the wrecked vessels are remnants from the War of 1812, boats sunk by German subs during World War II, and even a German U-boat that was sunk by allied forces.

Additionally, the gulf is home to some of the planet’s oldest living organisms, the black corals, which have been discovered at ages exceeding 2,000 years, as noted by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council.

Like trees, black corals develop growth rings over time and can be found at depths ranging from 60 to 2,800 feet.

How long has it been known as the Gulf of Mexico?

The Gulf of Mexico has been referred to by that name for over 400 years. In his 1589 work “The Principall Navigations, Voiages and Discoveries of the English Nation,” the English geographer Richard Hakluyt dubbed it the “Gulfe of Mexico.” An Italian mapmaker, Baptista Boazio, called it the “Baye of Mexico” in a map from that same year.

Sheinbaum Pardo referenced a 1607 map that names the water as the Gulf of Mexico during a press conference opposing Trump’s renaming proposal.

This map also labels North America as “America Mexicana,” or Mexican America. Mexico’s first female president humorously suggested that “Mexican America” could be a fitting new name for the United States.

What alternatives are there?

Those 16th-century maps weren’t the final word on the naming conventions.

Subsequent maps and documents showed that this body of water was referred to by various other titles, such as the “Gulf of New Spain” and the “Florida Sea,” according to Encyclopedia Britannica.

Cartographer Abraham Ortelius named it the “Sea of the North” (Mare de Nort) on a 1584 map, according to The St. Augustine Record, which is part of the YSL News Network.

Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés referred to it as Mar del Norte in his reports, although other early explorers might use “Golfo de Cortés,” as noted by the NOAA.

Some less common names include “Sinus Magnus Antilliarum,” found on a 1588 Portuguese map, and Mare Cathaynum, meaning Chinese Sea, from a 16th-century diagram, according to Fish and Wildlife Services.

Trump’s Suggestion Isn’t New

Trump marks the first American politician to propose renaming the gulf.

In 2012, a Democratic lawmaker from the Mississippi Legislature introduced a bill to change the name to Gulf of America, as reported by The St. Augustine Record and YSL News Network.

The bill, proposed by Rep. Stephen Holland, would have influenced the segment of the gulf neighboring Mississippi beaches but never passed into law. Holland stated that it was intended as a lighthearted suggestion.

Comedian Stephen Colbert also put forth the idea of calling it the Gulf of America 15 years prior while hosting “The Colbert Report.”

Colbert made this suggestion following the disastrous Deepwater Horizon oil spill that released 168 million gallons of oil across nearly 60,000 square miles of the gulf.

“I don’t think we can still call it the Gulf of Mexico after that,” Colbert remarked in 2010. “We broke it, we bought it.”

The gulf’s role in the US economy

The gulf has served as a vital trade route since the time of the Putún Maya, who transported pre-Columbian goods in large canoes between present-day Veracruz and Honduras, according to a NOAA Ocean Exploration report.

Currently, U.S. ports along the gulf’s coast handle substantial trade. In 2023, Texas ports exported over $200 million in fuel, including natural gas and coal, based on Census Bureau figures. Furthermore, Texas ports imported $17 million of industrial machinery, $14 million of electrical equipment, and more than $10 million in iron and steel.

Offshore oil extraction contributes about 14% of the total U.S. crude oil production, according to the U.S. Energy Administration. A considerable amount of the nation’s natural gas also originates from the gulf.

A Controversial Area – Mexican or American?

The gulf covers a massive area roughly equivalent to Alaska, measuring over 615,000 square miles. It extends nearly 1,000 miles from east to west and 660 miles from north to south. It ranks as the ninth largest body of water worldwide, according to the National Parks Service.

Its coastline extends about 3,700 miles—more than half of which lies alongside Mexico, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This figure does not account for the numerous bays and inlets. The gulf borders five U.S. states and collects water runoff from 33 significant U.S. rivers, making it one of the world’s most extensive watersheds.

Gulf of Mexico Wildlife

The Gulf of Mexico basin was formed approximately 300 million years ago, as per the National Parks Service. Its shallow waters have emerged as a natural habitat for an array of marine species.

With over 15,000 fish species, the gulf is a highly sought-after fishing location, according to the Parks Service. It is also home to 29 types of marine mammals, including dolphins, whales, and manatees. Five species of sea turtles, all of which are endangered or at risk, pass through this body of water.

While the gulf is renowned for its shrimp, studies indicate that many diners enjoying shrimp at coastal restaurants are actually consuming imported varieties.