Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has urged Google to reconsider its decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico on Google Maps for U.S. users. The controversy stems from an executive order signed by former U.S. President Donald Trump, which rebranded the body of water as the Gulf of America within the United States.
While Google Maps will maintain the traditional name worldwide, users in the U.S. will see the new designation. Mexico, however, argues that the renaming is legally questionable under international maritime laws. According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a country’s sovereignty extends only 12 nautical miles from its coastline, making the unilateral name change invalid beyond that boundary.
Sheinbaum criticized Google’s compliance with the order, stating that an international sea should not be renamed based on the decision of a single nation. In a lighthearted response, she jokingly suggested that Mexico might ask Google to rename North America as “América Mexicana” or label certain regions as Mexican America on the map.
Google, in its defense, stated that it follows official government sources when applying name changes. The company also announced plans to rename Mount Denali back to Mount McKinley in the U.S., following another directive from Trump.
Despite the changes in digital maps, Sheinbaum emphasized that for Mexico and the world, it remains the Gulf of Mexico. The debate has sparked discussions about geopolitical influence over digital platforms and the importance of preserving historical names.
By
