What’s in a name? Shakespeare mused over whether a rose would smell as sweet with any other name. And Google Maps’s recent name change from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America illustrates, for some, a sense of national pride and, for some, a strangely aggressive land grab (or sea grab, in this case). The nonpartisan Associated Press declined to use President Trump’s new name and was therefore barred from attending the executive order signing in the Oval Office, a move that creates an uneasy precedent.
What is the history of the name the Gulf of Mexico?
According to Wikipedia, the name “Gulf of Mexico” dates back to 1550, so it has been in place for nearly 500 years. President Trump signed an executive order to change the name on January 20, and on February 10, Google Maps and Google Earth reflected the name change, with certain adjustments (see below).
Why did Google Maps rename the Gulf of Mexico?
Google renamed the Gulf of Mexico because of President Trump’s Executive Order 14172, "Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness," which he signed on his inauguration day. This order also restored Denali in Alaska to its old name, Mount McKinley.
Why was the Gulf of Mexico changed to the Gulf of America?
According to Section 4(a) of the executive order, "the Gulf will continue to play a pivotal role in shaping America’s future and the global economy, and in recognition of this flourishing economic resource and its critical importance to our Nation’s economy and its people, I [President Trump] am directing that it officially be renamed the Gulf of America.” The order goes on to mention examples such as the Gulf being a favorite destination for American tourists and a home to American fisheries, plus it provides "roughly 14% of our Nation’s crude oil production and an abundance of natural gas."
Is there anything ‘funny’ about the name?
In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon, a ship owned by British company BP, had an enormous oil spill with catastrophic results for sea life (BP was blamed along with American drilling company Transocean and American oil service company Halliburton, according to the U.S. government report on the disaster). In response, comedian Stephen Colbert joked that the name of the gulf should be changed to the Gulf of America, saying, “We broke it. We bought it.” The joke refers to the note you’ll often find taped to shelves of antique stores or other places selling delicate wares, saying, “If you break it, you buy it.”
In 2012, Mississippi representative Steve Holland proposed a bill to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America as a joke to mock other bills at the time.
What is the adjustment Google Maps is using?
Google’s blog outlines its name-change strategy. When American users (based on their device’s location) pull up the body of water, they will see it labeled as the Gulf of America. When Mexican users look at the same map, they will see it called the Gulf of Mexico. And the rest of the world will see it labeled as “Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America).”
Was Google required to make the name change?
No, Google faced no legal requirement to adopt the new name, Stanford law professor Mark Lemley told Business Insider.