Name dispute on Maps

Gulf of America: Mexico considers legal action against Google

Sheinbaum called on Google to "review the US government's decree and the international standards for naming the Gulf of Mexico".

(Bild: APA/AFP/Yuri CORTEZ)

Mexico is considering a lawsuit against Google over the renaming of the entire Gulf of Mexico to "Gulf of America" on Google Maps. The renaming ordered by US President Donald Trump only applies to the coastal waters of the USA, said Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. 

The company had therefore been asked in writing to respect the historical name of the waters for the non-US part in its map service. If Google insists on the far-reaching name change, Mexico will take civil action against it.

"The only place the US can rename is where it exercises sovereignty," said Sheinbaum. That is therefore exclusively the twelve nautical mile zone off the US coast. Trump had not ordered the name of the entire body of water to be changed, said the President.

Users in the USA are only shown the new name
Trump had ordered the renaming shortly after taking office. Google has changed the name in its map service accordingly. Users in the USA are shown the gulf as the Gulf of America, while elsewhere both names are displayed. Users outside the USA will see the traditional name first and the new name next to it in brackets.

The name Gulf of Mexico has been in use since the 16th century. The body of water borders not only the US states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, but also Mexico and Cuba. According to Trump's decree, the name change applies to the area up to the maritime borders of Mexico and Cuba.