Google Maps users in the U.S. will soon see “Gulf of America” in place of “Gulf of Mexico” and “Mount McKinley” instead of “Denali” on the map, in line with President Donald Trump’s executive order issued last week.
Google said in a series of posts on X on Monday that it is has a “longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources.” The changes will go into effect “quickly,” it added, after the names are updated in the Geographic Names Information System, which is run by the Interior Department’s U.S. Geological Survey.
The Gulf of Mexico will continue to be identified as such for Google Maps’ users in Mexico, the company said. Users in the rest of the world will see both names on the map.
When that happens, we will update Google Maps in the U.S. quickly to show Mount McKinley and Gulf of America.
— News from Google (@NewsFromGoogle) January 27, 2025
Also longstanding practice: 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.
— News from Google (@NewsFromGoogle) January 27, 2025
Google Maps, which purports to have more than 2 billion users worldwide, has used different names — and even drawn different borders — for geographically disputed locations.
On his first day back in office, Trump signed an executive order to “restore American greatness” by renaming the Gulf of Mexico and Denali, the highest peak in North America.
President Barack Obama restored the mountain’s name to Denali in 2015 in a nod to Native Alaskans. Trump’s decision to reverse its name back to “Mount McKinley” — after the late President William McKinley — has been opposed by most Alaska House lawmakers.
Similarly, Trump’s push to rename the Gulf of Mexico has been met with derision by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who earlier this month suggested naming North America “América Mexicana” instead.
