Google Maps will soon display new naming conventions for two prominent US landmarks following President Donald Trump’s executive orders.
The Gulf of Mexico will be renamed the “Gulf of America,” and Alaska’s Denali will revert to its former name, Mount McKinley, according to updates from Google.
The Trump administration officially renamed the Gulf of Mexico last week, directing federal agencies to adopt the term “Gulf of America” on all official documents and platforms. Google Maps confirmed the changes would take effect once the US Geographic Names Information System reflects the updates.
“We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources,” Google noted on social media platform X.
However, the Gulf will still be labelled “Gulf of Mexico” for users in Mexico, while users outside both nations will see both names.
Similarly, the Trump administration reinstated the name Mount McKinley for North America’s tallest peak, which was renamed Denali during President Barack Obama’s administration in 2015.
The change was initially made to honour Alaska Native heritage, as “Denali” means “the high one” in the Koyukon Athabaskan language. Trump, however, cited the historical significance of honouring President William McKinley, stating that McKinley contributed to America’s prosperity through tariffs and strong leadership.
Google Maps will implement this change for also for US users, while international users will see both names, continuing its dual-labeling policy for disputed or dual-use geographic names, as per Reuters.
Renaming disputes are not new for Google Maps. For example, bodies of water like the “Sea of Japan (East Sea)” and the “Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf)” are labelled with dual names to respect varying international perspectives. This approach ensures users see culturally and politically sensitive names in their local contexts.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum recently joked that North America could be renamed “Mexican America” in response to Trump’s order, referencing early historical maps of the region.
