In a controversial move set to shake up American geography, Google has announced it will comply with President Donald Trump’s recent executive order, renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and rebranding Mount McKinley as Denali.
The landmark name changes, announced via a post on social media platform X, reflect a broader shift in official U.S. geography, and Google, known for its adherence to official government data, confirmed it would update its Google Maps and other mapping services accordingly.
“We have a longstanding practice of implementing name changes once they are officially updated in government sources,” Google said. “Once the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is updated, we will reflect these changes on Google Maps.”
In the wake of Trump’s signing of the executive order, which came shortly after his inauguration, two high-profile name adjustments are in the works. First, the Gulf of Mexico, a major body of water bordering the southern United States, will now be called the Gulf of America. Second, the U.S.’s highest peak, previously known as Mount McKinley, will revert to its original name, Denali.
Trump’s executive action, signed with little fanfare in his early days in office, has sparked a flurry of reactions, particularly among those who recall the history behind the previous name changes. The order, citing “the extraordinary heritage of our nation,” argued that the name changes were necessary to honor American history and to “celebrate the legacy of our American heroes.”
Trump’s Defense of the Name Changes
The order specifically took aim at the name changes enacted by former President Barack Obama during his presidency, including the renaming of Mount McKinley to Denali in 2015. Trump’s action called Obama’s decision an “affront” to the late President William McKinley, who served as the 25th president of the U.S.
“President McKinley championed tariffs that laid the foundation for American prosperity,” the order read. “His assassination was an attack on our nation’s values and our success.”
Trump’s executive action makes clear that it seeks to honor McKinley’s memory while rejecting Obama’s decision. The Gulf of Mexico’s name change, meanwhile, seeks to emphasize the economic importance of the region to the U.S., and by extension, to American history.
“The Gulf of America contributes immensely to our economy and our way of life,” the order states. “This new name will reflect that contribution while cementing the Gulf’s place in American greatness.”
Google’s Role in the Name Changes
In an interesting twist, Google will be the key platform where these name changes are immediately visible. However, the tech giant clarified that the updates will only be visible to users within the United States. For users outside the U.S., both names will appear on Google Maps, with the official local names for each country.
“This is part of our policy of respecting local official names,” Google explained. “For users in the U.S., the updated names will be reflected. For those outside the U.S., both the former and current names will appear side by side.”
This practice follows Google’s protocol of adhering to official government databases. As soon as the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) — a government database for geographic names — updates its records, the changes will be reflected across Google Maps and other services that rely on this official data.
Criticism and Backlash
While Trump’s executive order has garnered praise from some quarters, particularly those who advocate for a more overt celebration of American history, it has not been without controversy. Critics argue that these changes are politically motivated and attempt to erase the legacies of past administrations in favor of rewriting history.
For instance, some have expressed concern that the renaming of Mount McKinley disregards the significance of the Native American heritage tied to the name Denali.
“The decision to rename Mount McKinley back to Denali is a deeply disrespectful move,” said Dr. Jennifer Wayne, a historian from the University of Washington. “It ignores the long history of the Native American people in Alaska, who have long referred to the peak as Denali.”
Furthermore, the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America has stirred debate about national pride and its implications. While some may see the move as a positive acknowledgment of American achievements, others view it as a geopolitical maneuver meant to reassert American dominance in the region.
“Changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America seems like an unnecessary exercise in self-aggrandizement,” said Carlos Hernandez, a Mexican diplomat. “It’s a symbolic move that could negatively impact relations between the U.S. and its neighbors.”
Global Implications
For Google, the implications of the renaming are both technical and political. The company’s maps service, one of the most widely used in the world, will be in the spotlight as it adopts new names for the Gulf and the mountain. Google’s ability to remain neutral in its mapping services will be tested, as global users now have a front-row seat to the political and cultural battles over naming conventions.
The U.S. government’s role in altering these names through executive orders raises questions about the intersection of politics and technology. By aligning itself with official government standards, Google is contributing to a broader conversation about how national pride, political legacies, and technological platforms interact.
For the time being, it’s clear that Google will follow the government’s lead on the name changes. As the world watches, the updated maps will serve as a visual reminder of the ongoing battle over identity, heritage, and American greatness — a fight that has spilled over into the digital age.
