Google Maps is renaming iconic locations per US government directives

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority Google Maps on phone
TL;DR “Gulf of Mexico” is now called ‘Gulf of America’ on US-based Google Maps per government directives.
“Denali” mountain has been renamed “Mount McKinley,” prompting debate over historical naming.
Google says the decision to rename these locations stems from its long-standing policy to adhere to official name changes.
Google has announced that it’s renaming some iconic locations on Google Maps following directives from the Trump-led US government.
As part of the changes, “Gulf of Mexico” will now be called “Gulf of America” on Google Maps for US users. Outside of the two countries, Google Maps users will see both names on the service.
Google Maps will also rename the famous Alaskan mountain, “Denali,” to “Mount McKinley,” after President William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States.
The US government announced the name changes on January 20 as part of an initiative for “restoring names that honor American greatness.”
Google addressed the recent name changes on Google Maps in a post on X (formerly Twitter), explaining that it has a long-standing policy of updating names based on official government sources.
In this case, the new names for the Gulf of Mexico and Mount Denali will be implemented in Google Maps when they are updated in the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
“When official names vary between countries, Maps users see their official local name. Everyone in the rest of the world sees both names. That applies here too,” Google explained.
While Google has made its position on name changes in Maps very clear by displaying both the new and old names of places to avoid disputes, its decision to adhere to government directives has not escaped public scrutiny or controversy.
Earlier this month, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum quipped that the US should be renamed as “Mexican America,” a name used for the North American region in some early maps.
Google Maps’ decision to drop the name “Persian Gulf” from its service and leave the waterway between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula nameless was also strongly criticized by Iran, which, in 2012, threatened to legal action against Google.
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