On Monday, President Trump issued an executive order that mandates the federal government to update the name of the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America” on official maps. This update could be a lengthy process and may not be immediately reflected in the digital mapping services that Americans frequently use.

“The Gulf of America – it has a lovely sound to it,” Trump remarked during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago on January 7. “What a beautiful name, and it’s fitting.”

Historically, the Gulf of Mexico has held this name at least since the late 1600s, representing the large body of water bordered by the southern coast of the United States, spanning from Texas to Florida, as well as wrapping around Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

According to the National Parks Service, it ranks as the ninth-largest body of water globally. Spanning over 615,000 square miles—comparable to the size of Alaska—it is nearly 1,000 miles wide from east to west and about 660 miles wide from north to south.

Its shoreline stretches approximately 3,540 miles, with more than half lying along the coast of Mexico, as noted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, not counting the numerous bays and inlets.

For centuries, the gulf has been referred to by different names such as Golfo de Nueva España (The Gulf of New Spain) and Mar Di Florida (the Florida Sea), reflecting the region’s complex history with European colonial powers like France and Spain.

Who decides the naming of the Gulf?

The responsibility for renaming geographical locations falls to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. This federal office holds the authority to rename geographical features in the United States.

“The BGN is mandated by law to standardize geographic names for federal use and discourages name changes unless there’s a compelling reason,” states their official website. “Moreover, altering an existing name simply to rectify or re-establish historical usage should not be the main reason for the change.”

These naming conventions might not have legal power over the states near the gulf or other countries. However, at least one state has adopted the change. During a declaration of emergency due to cold weather, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis referred to “Whereas an area of low pressure moving across the Gulf of America, interacting with Arctic air, will bring widespread impactful weather to North Florida beginning Tuesday.”

Will digital maps update their names?

According to Statista, Google Maps is the primary digital navigation app used across the United States, followed closely by Waze, which is also owned by Alphabet, Google’s parent company.

It remains uncertain what name users of either app will see. A request made for an update to the Google Maps site in the afternoon received a response from another user stating, “This is an executive decision made only a few hours ago. It may be premature to start labeling the previous name as incorrect.”

With regard to Google Earth, which provides a three-dimensional view of Earth via satellite imagery, the company generally avoids taking sides in international geopolitical disputes. They follow a policy of Primary Local Usage.

In line with this policy, the English version of Google Earth shows the primary local name of bodies of water according to the nations that border them. If all neighboring countries agree on a single name, that name is displayed. For instance, “Caribbean Sea” in English and “Mar Caribe” in Spanish.

“If disputing countries have varying views on the name of a body of water, our policy is to exhibit both names, each label appearing closer to the country that uses it,” explains the site.

It remains unclear if this approach will extend to Google Maps and Waze. An email query sent to Google’s media contact has not yet received a reply. As of Tuesday afternoon, Google Maps still referenced Gulf of Mexico.

As of the same time, Apple Maps also had not altered the name of the Gulf.

Must other nations adopt the Gulf of America name?

While the United States can change the nomenclature of the Gulf, other countries are not obligated to adopt this new name.

Several international organizations, including the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names, help mediate name discrepancies.

“As part of the need for global standardization of geographical names, UNGEGN advocates for the recording of locally utilized names that reflect a country’s languages and traditions,” the organization states on its website.

“The tools are developed by specialists such as geographers, linguists, cartographers, and planners, who harness technology, outreach, and share the belief that accurate and consistent use of a common framework for geographical names can yield significant global benefits.”

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo has dismissed the name change. During a January 8 news conference, she proposed that the United States should be called “Mexican America.”

Sheinbaum Pardo commenced her presentation in Mexico City, showcasing a 17th-century map of North and South America in the background.

“Clearly, the Gulf of Mexico is acknowledged by the United Nations but why not call this ‘Mexican America’?” she remarked, indicating the area now known as the United States.

She displayed a map from 1607 that labels North America as “America Mexicana,” or Mexican America, and also refers to the Gulf of Mexico, which was already recognized as a significant maritime navigation point.

Sheinbaum Pardo also highlighted a separate, 19th-century map illustrating the vast territory that Mexico once held, encompassing what are now the U.S. states of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico.

How quickly could these names change?

Changes implemented through the executive order titled “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness” are expected to take effect within 30 days, as specified in the order’s text.

Typically, it takes no less than six months to rename a location in the United States, according to the Board on Geographic Names, allowing time for consultation with states, tribes, cartographers, and other relevant stakeholders.

Are there challenges associated with changing place names?

Consistency in naming is crucial for navigation, which is why the Board on Geographic Names mandates that every federal agency utilize its database, the Geographic Names Information System. This system features more than one million named locations in the United States. At the international level, the United Nations group serves a similar function, along with organizations like the International Hydrographic Organization and the International Maritime Organization.

Additionally, there’s a broader societal discussion regarding names: Research indicates that as European colonizers renamed locations globally, it often marginalized or erased the histories of indigenous populations who originally inhabited those lands.

“Power was inscribed onto the landscape through place names, helping to cultivate a sense of belonging for the colonizer, and ultimately served as a means to exert control over social and physical environments,” noted Beth Williamson from the University of London in a 2023 study.

Gene Tucker, a history professor at Temple College in Texas, highlighted how changing place names can elicit unexpected emotional reactions. He referenced the 2023 renaming of a military post in his hometown of Killeen, Texas, back to Fort Cavazos, a change that still resonates negatively with his parents.

“Renaming a place can deeply affect many people’s feelings,” stated Tucker, who focused his PhD research on Spanish-American place names and is a member of the Texas Map Society. “If you’re altering the name of a place I grew up near, you’re essentially rewriting my history, which in turn changes my identity. It feels as if you’re suggesting everything about us is erroneous.”

Alaska’s Mount Denali also to be renamed.

Another aspect of Trump’s executive order involves reverting the name of Alaska’s Mount Denali back to Mount McKinley.

In 2015, former President Barack Obama changed the name from Mount McKinley to Denali, a name with local Native American origins meaning “the High One” in the Athabascan language.

The naming of the tallest mountain in the United States has sparked controversy dating back to as early as 1916, as noted by the National Parks Service.

A number of Alaskans supported the use of the traditionally recognized local name, while Ohio, where President William McKinley (the 25th president) hailed from, opposed the change.