Google will rename the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska's Denali on its maps for users in the U.S. following President Trump's controversial executive order.
Google said the name changes, which also includes using Mount McKinley, will happen when Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is updated.
Google says it has a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources.
Trump signed an executive order the day of his inauguration, saying the gulf was “ours” and that it should be renamed alongside the tallest peak in North America. The order moved to rename Denali in Alaska — which has been known as such since 2015 — back to Mount McKinley. Denali is the peak’s Alaska Native name.
While the Gulf of America will be applied to federal references, other nations will not be required to recognize the name.
The change will only be visible to U.S. users. Those in Mexico will still see “Gulf of Mexico,” while those in the rest of the world will see both names on the map.
Trump also renamed Denali, North America’s tallest peak, as Mount McKinley, despite objections from Alaska’s senators.
WSLS 10 News will follow the Associated Press' guidance when referring to the Gulf of Mexico and Mt. McKinley following President Donald Trump’s executive orders to rename them.
Google said on Monday that it will change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America” in Google Maps once it is updated in the U.S. Geographic Names System. Google Maps will also change the name of Denali in Alaska to “Mount McKinley.
Google said only users in the U.S. will see the change, adding that the name "Gulf of Mexico" will remain displayed for users in Mexico.