Google maps has changed the Gulf of Mexico’s name to the Gulf of America after US President Donald Trump ordered the renaming of the body of water.
Google explained that the change was made as part of a “longstanding practice” of changing names when updated by government sources.
It said while users in Mexico would still see the label “Gulf of Mexico”, users elsewhere in the world would see "Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)".
This comes after Trump ordered the gulf to be renamed after returning to office in January.
Trump ordered the gulf to be renamed after returning to office in January
REUTERSMexico denounced this move, claiming that the US had no right to change the name.
The name change was made on Monday after the Geographic Names Information System, a US government database run by the Interior Department, listed an update.
The listing read: “The Gulf of America, formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico, with an average depth 5300 ft is a major body of water bordered and nearly landlocked by North America with the Gulf's eastern, northern, and northwestern shores in the U.S. and its southwestern and southern shores in Mexico."
The changes were made after Trump signed an executive order to “restore names that honor American Greatness”.
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Following the move, Trump declared February 9 would now be “Gulf of America Day,” with a statement saying: "I call upon public officials and all the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities."
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has urged Google to reconsider the change, arguing the US could not legally change the Gulf’s name, citing the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea which dictates that an individual country's sovereign territory only extends up to 12 nautical miles out from the coastline.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has urged Google to reconsider the change
REUTERS
The AP’s Executive Editor Julie Pace said: "It is alarming that the Trump administration would punish AP for its independent journalism.
"Limiting our access to the Oval Office based on the content of AP's speech not only severely impedes the public's access to independent news, it plainly violates the First Amendment."
Trump also ordered North America's tallest mountain, Denali, be called Mount McKinley, which was its previous name.
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