For users of its App in the United States of America, Google Maps has now changed the Gulf of Mexico’s name to the Gulf of America.
In apparent reference to the Order signed recently by President Donald Trump, Google informed that it was making the change as part of “a longstanding practice” of the following name changes when updated by official government sources.
The company explained that the name of the Gulf – which is bordered by the US, Cuba and Mexico – would not be changed for people using the app in Mexico, and users elsewhere in the world will see the label: “Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)”
.The heraldnews recalls that Google’s action comes in the wake of President Trump’s order that the body of water should be renamed in documents of the government of the USA.
But President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico asked Google to reconsider its decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico.
According to her, the United States has no legal right to change the Gulf’s name because the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea dictates that an individual country’s sovereign territory only extends up to 12 nautical miles out from the coastline.
The change was made by Google on Monday after the Geographic Names Information System, a US government database run by the Interior Department, listed an update to the Gulf’s name.The listing reads:
“The Gulf of America, formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico, with an average depth 5300 ft is a major body of water bordered and nearly landlocked by North America with the Gulf’s eastern, northern, and northwestern shores in the U.S. and its southwestern and southern shores in Mexico.
“It said the change was made in accordance with Trump’s executive order to “restore names that honor American Greatness”.
Following the signing of the order, President Trump proclaimed 9 February as “Gulf of America Day”.
“I call upon public officials and all the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities,” a White House statement said.Meanwhile, Apple also renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America on its maps on Tuesday.
