Google announced that it will alter geographic names on its mapping platform, Google Maps, in accordance with executive orders signed by former President Donald Trump, Al Jazeera reports.
Users in the United States will see the Gulf of Mexico renamed as the Gulf of America, while the continent’s tallest peak, Mount Denali, will revert to its historical name, Mount McKinley.
These changes, which are set to take effect once ratified by the US government, reflect a long-standing practice by Google to align its mappings with official government designations. While US users will see the Gulf referred to as the Gulf of America, those accessing the map from Mexico will continue to see it labeled as the Gulf of Mexico. Users located in neither country will have both names displayed.
This decision marks a significant shift in the naming of geographic features. The Gulf of Mexico has held its name for approximately 400 years, a title first noted in Richard Hakluyt’s 1589 publication, “The Principall Navigations, Voiages and Discoveries of the English Nation.” The gulf is bordered by the United States and parts of Mexico, including several states along the Gulf Coast.
Mount Denali, known to many as North America’s highest peak at an elevation of 20,308 feet, was designated as Mount McKinley in 1917, a name honoring former President William McKinley. However, the mountain’s official name was changed back to Denali in 2015 by then-President Barack Obama, acknowledging the Indigenous Koyukon Athabascan name that means “the tall one.”
The challenges of renaming geographic locations extend into international relations, as there are no universal laws governing the naming of shared maritime spaces or disputed territories. Experts point out that while Trump may have the power to rename these regions for a domestic audience, the global community may not adopt these changes.
US Senator Lisa Murkowski expressed her opposition to renaming Denali, emphasizing the mountain’s historical significance for Alaska’s Indigenous people, who have known it as Denali for thousands of years.
Google’s change will be officially implemented when the US government updates its Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), a database overseen by the US Geological Survey which records the names of over one million geographic locations. While an exact timeline remains unclear, Trump had aimed for the updates to be finalized within 30 days of signing the executive orders on January 20.
Google explained that regional naming conventions vary and that it aims to present users with locally recognized titles.
