Google Maps now shows the “Gulf of America” in place of the “Gulf of Mexico” for users on both web and mobile in the United States. It made the change after the Trump administration formally changed the name today of the body of water spanning between the eastern coast of Mexico and the Florida panhandle. Google says it follows the GNIS, or Geographic Names Information System, a US database of location information.
Users in Mexico will continue to see “Gulf of Mexico,” while the rest of the world will see the original name with “Gulf of America” in parentheses. Google says it determines a user’s location — and thus which version of the body of water they see — using data from their mobile OS, SIM, and network. Desktop users will see changes based on search settings or device location if not provided.
Meanwhile, Apple hasn’t made any changes in Apple Maps yet, although it does redirect “Gulf of America” searches to the Gulf of Mexico. Other mapping companies like MapQuest have not made changes either. However, we found that Google-owned Waze shows both names if you search for “Gulf of Mexico,” but finds nothing when searching for “Gulf of America.”
