Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that her government is suing Google over its decision to label the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” on Google Maps for U.S. users-a change that stems from an executive order issued by former President Donald Trump at the start of his current term. The controversy centers on the fact that while the body of water is internationally recognized as the Gulf of Mexico, Google and some other tech companies have updated their maps to reflect the new U.S. federal designation, particularly for American audiences.
Sheinbaum criticized the move, arguing that no single country has the authority to unilaterally rename an international body of water. She emphasized that only the portion of the gulf within U.S. territorial waters could be subject to such a name change, and that Mexico and Cuba’s sections of the gulf should retain the original name. “The part that corresponds to Mexico can’t be renamed. The part that corresponds to Cuba can’t be renamed either.” Sheinbaum said at a press briefing. Previously, Mexico’s Foreign Relations Ministry had sent formal complaints to Google, warning that legal action would follow if the company did not reverse the change.
Google’s Vice President of Government Affairs, Cris Turner, responded to Mexico’s complaints by stating that the company would not revert the label, arguing that Google was following its longstanding policy of reflecting official geographic designations from national authorities. As a result, Google Maps now displays “Gulf of America” within the United States, “Gulf of Mexico” within Mexico, and “Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)” for users in other regions. Apple has also adopted the new terminology, while MapQuest has not, even issuing a tongue-in-cheek statement mocking the change.
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The dispute escalated after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to codify the name change, which would require all federal documents and maps to use “Gulf of America” instead of “Gulf of Mexico”. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, aims to make the change permanent and prevent future administrations from reversing it. Trump’s executive order and the subsequent bill define the “Gulf of America” as the area of the U.S. continental shelf bordered by Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, extending to the maritime boundaries with Mexico and Cuba.
The Gulf of Mexico has been known by that name since the 16th century and is recognized as such by international bodies like the International Hydrographic Organization. Past proposals to rename the gulf in the U.S. have been rejected or treated humorously, highlighting the symbolic and political nature of the current controversy.
In a lighter moment during her remarks, Sheinbaum joked about renaming North America as “Mexican America,” referencing historical documents to underscore the absurdity of unilateral geographic renaming. Meanwhile, the U.S. Coast Guard and other federal agencies have already started using the term “Gulf of America” in official communications, and Trump even declared February 9 as “Gulf of America Day” to commemorate the change.
This legal dispute highlights the complexities of geographic naming conventions, the reach of national executive orders, and the influence of tech companies in shaping global perceptions of place names. It also underscores the sensitivity of international borders and the importance of diplomatic engagement in resolving such disputes.
