Gulf of Mexico Renamed to Gulf of America Following Presidential Order
The name change from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America began rolling out across the U.S. on Monday, just a month after President Donald Trump announced his intention to Americanize the name.
On Monday, the FAA sent out a charting notice confirming that its systems were in the process of updating the name, in addition to updating the newly-named Mount McKinley in Alaska, formerly known as Denali.
"Please be advised that the FAA is in the process of updating our data and charts to show a name change from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and a name change from Denali to Mount McKinley. This will be targeted for the next publication cycle," the notice read.
"This Charting Notice implements President Trump's direction in Executive Order 14172, 'Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness,' that the names be changed."
On January 7, Trump announced that the Gulf of Mexico would be given a new name and signed an executive order finalizing the decision weeks later.
"We're going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which has a beautiful ring. That covers a lot of territory," Trump said on Tuesday. "The Gulf of America. What a beautiful name. And it's appropriate."
The decision was received well by social media users on Monday, who began noticing Google Maps implementing the changes.
"Google Maps FINALLY recognizes the Gulf of America!" one user wrote. "Isn't it beautiful?"
"I hate google, but tbh, mine says Gulf of America zoomed all the way out," another said. "And boy is it glorious."
The changes also come after Trump signed a proclamation on Sunday that declared February 9 as "Gulf of America Day."
Trump was flying over the body of water on his way to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans when he signed the presidential order.
"Air Force One is currently in international waters, the first time in history flying over the recently renamed Gulf of America," the White House wrote.
In the proclamation, Trump wrote that he took the action "in part because, as stated in that Order, '[t]he area formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico has long been an integral asset to our once burgeoning Nation and has remained an indelible part of America.'
Google previously confirmed that it intended on updating the gulf's name in accordance with local authorities.
"We've received a few questions about naming within Google Maps," Google said. "We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources...everyone in the rest of the world sees both names. That applies here too."
