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Google adopts new naming conventions for gulf and mountain in response to executive orders

Tuesday 11 February 2025 - 09:39

Google has updated its naming practices for geographical locations in accordance with an executive order issued by U.S. President Donald Trump. The tech giant now refers to the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" for users located in the U.S., while users in Mexico will continue to see the original name. For everyone else, both names will be displayed, offering users a dual representation.

This shift follows an announcement made by Google on its platform last month, where the company explained its use of the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), a database overseen by the U.S. Geological Survey, for geographical name updates.

In a related change, Google will revert the name of Mount Denali in Alaska to Mount McKinley, in line with Trump's executive order, once the U.S. official database is updated. Mount Denali, the tallest peak in North America, originally bore its name from the Indigenous Koyukon Athabascan people. In 1917, it was renamed Mount McKinley in honor of President William McKinley, who was assassinated in 1901. In 2015, during the Obama administration, the mountain's original name was restored.

Trump's decision to rename these landmarks sparked criticism from Indigenous groups in Alaska, and led to a satirical comment by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who suggested that North America should be renamed “Mexican America,” as it was referred to in one of Mexico’s historical documents.

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