Google Maps now shows “Gulf of America” instead of “Gulf of Mexico” for users on both web and mobile devices in the United States. This was done after the Trump administration officially changed the name of the body of water stretching between the east coast of Mexico and the state of Florida to the Gulf of Mexico. Google says it is acting in accordance with GNIS, or the Geographic Names Information System, an American database of location information.
Users in Mexico will continue to see “Gulf of Mexico,” while the rest of the world will see the original name with “Gulf of America” in parentheses. Google says it determines a user’s location – and therefore which version of the body of water they see – using data from their mobile OS, SIM card and network. Desktop users will see the changes based on their search settings or device location, if none are specified.
Meanwhile, Apple has not yet made any changes to Apple Maps, although it is redirecting the search for “American Gulf” to the Gulf of Mexico. Other mapping companies such as MapQuest have not made any changes either. However, we found that Waze, which is owned by Google, shows both names if you search for “Gulf of Mexico” but finds nothing when you search for “Gulf of America.”
