Is it called Gulf of America now? Google Maps renames the Gulf of Mexico. Will Apple Maps follow suit?

[ResidentialBusiness]

The majority of Google Maps users across the globe today will notice a significant change on the platform if they zoom into the body of water south of the United States and east of Mexico. That’s because Google has updated the name of that basin from the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America.”

Here’s what you need to know about the name change, including why it was made, who will see it, and if the world’s other major digital maps provider—Apple—will follow suit.

Why did Google rename the Gulf of Mexico?

The fact that Google has renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America is no surprise. As a matter of fact, back in January, Google announced it would be making the name change—a move it was widely ridiculed for on social media.

So why is Google making the change? Officially, it’s because the Gulf of Mexico has been renamed the Gulf of America in the United States’ Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) register. In a blog post announcing the name change, Google said the name change is “consistent with our longstanding practices” of adopting the names used in the GNIS.

But many have claimed that the real reason for the name change is to appease President Trump, which the search giant—like most other American tech companies—has been trying to keep happy since his return to power last month.

In January, President Trump issued an executive order that mandated the oceanic basin’s name be officially changed.

Can Trump and Google really do this?

As Fast Company previously reported, the president of the United States has the power to rename geographic locals to whatever they wish—within limitations. While presidents can mandate name changes, they can only do so on the national level. Other countries are under no obligation to recognize any such changes—and as far as I’m aware, none have yet embraced the new “Gulf of America” moniker.

As a private company, Google doesn’t have to follow any naming changes—but not doing so would risk the wrath of the president.

Who sees Gulf of America in Google Maps now?

Not everyone, but a majority of the world. In a blog post announcing the name change, Google says the specific label you’ll see on the gulf depends on where you are located in the world. Based on your location, you’ll see the gulf labeled in one of three ways in Google Maps:

• Users in the United States: will see the basin labeled as the “Gulf of America” only.
• Users in Mexico: will see the basin labeled as the “Gulf of Mexico” only.
• Users outside of America and Mexico: will see the basin labeled as “Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America).”

As Google explains, “The names you see in the Maps app are based on your country location, which is determined by information from your phone’s operating system (e.g., iOS and Android), including your SIM, network, and locale.” 

It says users of Google Maps on the web will see the name based on the region set in their account’s search settings, or based on their device’s location.

Will Apple Maps rename the Gulf of Mexico?

While Google Maps is the largest digital mapping provider in the world, it has a strong competitor in Apple Maps.

As of the time of this writing, the gulf basin is still labeled as the “Gulf of Mexico” in the Apple Maps app. 

Will that change? That’s yet to be seen, but if Apple designates geographic landmarks based on their names in the GNIS register, as Google does, then it is likely we can expect to see the “Gulf of America” name change show up in the iPhone maker’s maps, too.

Fast Company has reached out to Apple to ask if it will be making the name change. We will update this post with the company’s reply.

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