The Department of the Interior expressed its ‘pride’ in revealing the controversial name change.
The Gulf of Mexico has officially received a new name.
Just this week, President Trump shared his intention to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
In the executive order, the Gulf (the largest in the world) was referred to as ‘a vital asset to our once-thriving Nation and has always been a significant part of America’, along with being ‘a key route for America’s early trade and global commerce’.
This proposal faced backlash, especially from Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum.
On Tuesday, January 21, Sheinbaum commented, “Trump claims he’ll rename it the ‘Gulf of America’ on its continental shelf. For us, it’s still the Gulf of Mexico, and that’s how the whole world sees it too.”
She went on to say, “As for the decrees signed by President Trump yesterday, I want to assure the people of Mexico that we will always stand up for our sovereignty and independence.”
Meanwhile, the Trump Administration is moving quickly to put this name change into action, with the Department of the Interior announcing that ‘name restorations’ are in progress, officially changing the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
The statement kicked off with, “Following President Donald J. Trump’s latest executive order, the Department of the Interior is excited to share that we’re rolling out name restorations that celebrate American greatness, with efforts already in motion.”
It went on to mention the renaming of Alaskan peak Denali: “As per the President’s directive, the Gulf of Mexico will now be officially referred to as the Gulf of America, and North America’s tallest mountain will revert to its original name, Mount McKinley. These updates highlight the Nation’s dedication to honoring the rich heritage of the United States and making sure that future generations of Americans recognize the legacy of its heroes and historical landmarks.”
“The U.S. Board on Geographic Names, which operates under the Department of the Interior, is quickly working to update the official federal names in the Geographic Names Information System to reflect these changes, effective immediately for federal use.”
America might call it the Gulf of America now, but the rest of the world isn’t on the same page.
Take the UK, for instance. According to The Independent, they’ll still refer to it as the Gulf of Mexico and won’t be changing their maps anytime soon.
Maps will only get updated if Gulf of America becomes the go-to name for the ocean basin, which doesn’t seem likely to happen.
