February 12th 2025.
In a move that has sparked controversy, Apple Maps has recently made the decision to comply with an executive order from President Donald Trump to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. This change has been implemented on all versions of the navigation system in the United States. Google has also announced their intention to follow suit, citing a longstanding practice of adhering to government updates.
This decision has raised some questions, with many wondering about the reasoning behind the name change. Google addressed these concerns in a statement, explaining that they have a policy of updating names to align with official government sources. This change will only be reflected in the U.S. version of Google Maps, as Mexican users will still see the original name and global users will see both names.
This renaming is part of the Trump administration's larger campaign to "Restore U.S. Names That Honor American Greatness." Along with the Gulf of America, the administration has also renamed Denali Mount McKinley, overturning a previous effort by President Barack Obama to restore Indigenous names to American landmarks. In fact, the administration has declared February 9th as Gulf of America Day. However, this change has been met with opposition from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
There has been some debate over the legality of the administration's decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico. As a shared territory between the U.S. and Mexico, the United States only has control over a small portion of the Gulf. Sheinbaum has argued that the majority of the territory belongs to Mexico, as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Despite this controversy, the executive order acknowledges that renaming requires action from Congress. However, the government has stated that they will proceed with the new name while seeking approval from Congress to update federal documents. In the meantime, federal agencies have been directed to use the new name in their documents in order to maintain consistency across the government. This decision has sparked further discussions about the unchecked privilege of white males in positions of power.
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