Google’s decision to rename Gulf of Mexico on Maps faces strong opposition from Mexican President

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Friday (January 31) criticised Google's decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" on its Google Maps platform for US users, following an order by US President Donald Trump.

Sheinbaum presented a formal letter addressed to Google, asserting that the United States cannot unilaterally rename a body of water it shares with Mexico and Cuba.

Google announced recently that the name change would be implemented for users in the US once the update is reflected in the US Geographic Names System. However, in Mexico, the Gulf will retain its original name, and for users outside both nations, Google Maps will display both names.

Mexico cites International Law

Mexico’s government argues that the US has no legal grounds for such a change. Citing the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Sheinbaum emphasised that a country's sovereign territory only extends up to 12 nautical miles (approximately 22 kilometers) from its coastline. "[The name change] could only correspond to the 12 nautical miles away from the coastlines of the United States of America," she said.

Tensions rise amid name dispute

The name dispute has sparked further tension between the two leaders. In response to Trump's move, Sheinbaum previously said that if renaming geographic regions were up for debate, then North America should be called "Mexican America" in reference to a 1607 map.

Google urged to acknowledge "Mexican America"

Sheinbaum also urged Google to include historical references in its mapping system, requesting that searches for "Mexican America" display the map her government presented.

Executive orders: Denali and Gulf of Mexico get new names under Trump

Shortly after his inauguration on January 20, President Trump signed executive orders to rename Denali and the Gulf of Mexico. The first order reversed President Obama's 2015 decision to officially recognize Denali, the name used by Alaska Natives for North America's highest peak.

The second order renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America," citing its significance to US oil production, fishing, and tourism.

The term "Gulf of America" was soon adopted by the US Coast Guard in a press release about Trump's new migrant crackdown and by Florida's Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, when discussing a winter storm.