It's Official: GNIS and Maps Now Show 'Gulf of America'
Agencies and real-time map services have begun the official rollout of changing the name of "Gulf of Mexico" to "Gulf of America" for users within the United States. Plus, info on a powerful, free, real-time weather app.
Google Maps changes the name of Gulf of Mexico for the US
In an official statement released on Monday, Google announced it was changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to "Gulf of America" for some users.
"As we announced two weeks ago and consistent with our longstanding practices, we’ve begun rolling out changes to reflect this update," Google said. The company previously noted it makes name changes when official government sources update them. Google said it made the changes based on the official update made in the US by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
Google's changes to its maps will vary for different groups of users.
“People using Maps in the US will see ‘Gulf of America,’ and people in Mexico will see ‘Gulf of Mexico,’" Google said. "Everyone else will see both names."
The change came when President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his inauguration day, January 20, 2025, to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. His order doesn't change what other countries call the area, only what it is in the US.
The names you see in the Google Maps app are based on your country location.
What is the GNIS?
The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is the Federal and national standard for geographic nomenclature. GNIS was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey's National Geospatial Program in support of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names as the official repository of domestic geographic names data, the official vehicle for geographic names use by all departments of the Federal Government, and the source for applying geographic names to Federal electronic and printed products, according to its website.
The NWS and NOAA haven't made the change yet.
Interestingly, some US government agencies, such as the National Weather Service (NWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), were still using the term "Gulf of Mexico" in many of their forecasts as of this writing. Examples can be seen here and here.
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