SAN FRANCISCO — In a significant update to its mapping resources, Apple has officially changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. This alteration follows a directive issued by former President Donald Trump and is now reflected in the U.S. Geographic Names Information System.
This decision mirrors a recent move by Google, which announced last month its intentions to implement the name change once the official designation was confirmed. According to a blog post from Google, users located in the United States will now see the Gulf referred to as the Gulf of America, while those in Mexico will still see it labeled as the Gulf of Mexico. International users will have access to both names.
The name change was part of a broader initiative by Trump after he took office, during which he mandated that the body of water situated between the southern regions of the United States, Mexico, and Cuba be renamed. The U.S. Geographic Names Information System finalized the update to the naming convention on late Sunday. Furthermore, Microsoft has also adapted its Bing maps to reflect this new designation.
In a response to these modifications, the Associated Press, a major global news organization, has stated it will continue to refer to the body of water as the Gulf of Mexico — a name that has been in use for four centuries — while also acknowledging the newer designation as the Gulf of America.
