For most Americans who have an updated version of Google Maps, they should only see ‘Gulf of America.’ Mexican users should only see ‘Gulf of Mexico,’ while international users see both names.
For centuries, the waters between the United States and Mexico have been known by a single name. That changed Monday when Google Maps users in the United States opened their apps to find a new label on their screens.
The change stems from one of numerous executive orders signed on inauguration day by President Donald Trump as part of a broader executive push to “restore American pride in the history of American greatness.”
He also revoked an Obama-era decision to officially recognize Denali by reverting it back to Mount McKinley.
For Google users, geography now depends on location.
For most Americans who have an updated version of Google Maps, they should only see “Gulf of America.” Mexican users should only see “Gulf of Mexico,” while international users see both names.
The move was expected after the tech giant announced in January that it would implement the change once the United States Geographic Names Information System was updated.
However, not all tech companies have fallen in line, as Apple Maps still displays the Gulf of Mexico.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum isn’t letting the change go unchallenged.
Last month, the Jewish president announced that she will be preparing a formal letter to Google questioning their decision to alter a name that has identified these waters since the 16th century.
“For us it is still the Gulf of Mexico, and for the entire world it is still the Gulf of Mexico,” Sheinbaum said. “By the way, we are also going to ask for Mexican America to appear on the map.”
But Google so far is standing by the change, pointing to existing policies that adjust map labels based on users’ locations such as operating system settings, SIM cards, and network connections.
Image Credit: Google
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