Tech Desk 
Feb 11, 2025
In a recent development, Google Maps has renamed “Gulf of Mexico” to “Gulf of America” for users on both mobile and the web in the US.
This development comes a couple of weeks after the US President Donald Trump’s administration's Interior Department officially changed the name of the body of water extending between the Eastern coast of Mexico and the Florida Panhandle.
Notably, this move is part of Google's local labelling of maps, aiming to accommodate different naming conventions used by various countries.
In Mexico, the name remains "Gulf of Mexico”; however, users outside of the US and Mexico will see both names listed on Google Maps.
The company uses data from mobile devices, including OS, SIM, and network information, to determine a user's location and display the corresponding name.
However, desktop users will see changes based on their search settings or device location.
It’s worth mentioning that Apple Maps has not made similar changes, but it redirects searches for "Gulf of America" to the Gulf of Mexico.
Additionally, other mapping services, such as MapQuest, have also not updated their names. However, Waze, a Google-owned navigation app, displays both "Gulf of Mexico" and "Gulf of America" when searched.
