Gulf of MexicoDonald Trump turns Mexico into America

Christian Tiedt

 · 12.02.2025

Gulf of Mexico: Donald Trump turns Mexico into AmericaPhoto: 2025 Google, INEGI
Screenshot of Google Maps from today: German users see both designations.
It's official: according to Donald Trump, the Gulf of Mexico is now called the Gulf of America - at least in the United States. The international consequences are unclear. But the controversy is already here.

In other times, the announcement could easily have been mistaken for a joke: But US President Trump was serious when, on the very first day of his second term, he signed a so-called executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. A name that, according to Trump, is not only "beautiful" but also "appropriate". The "greatness of America" was to be promoted in this way, in line with his motto - although by "America" Trump primarily means the United States.

Gulf of Mexico since the 16th century

The term "Gulf of Mexico" was first used in cartography in the 16th century and subsequently became established. Today it is internationally recognised and can be found in all nautical publications. Still - because both the US Coast Guard (USCG) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is responsible for air traffic, have not yet recognised it. the change has already been implemented in the communication and will also adapt all publications such as nautical charts and manuals accordingly.

Since today, the measure has had the greatest visibility on Google Maps: All users in the USA will now only see the name Gulf of America. Both names are displayed for the rest of the world, including Germany. According to Google, this approach is in line with the usual rules of the company. There is another exception to this: for the Mexicans themselves, the Gulf of Mexico will remain so, at least for the time being.

A lot of convincing for Donald Trump

In terms of foreign policy, President Trump's action has already made waves, especially against the background of existing standards of international cooperation in the maritime sector: Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum responded mockingly with the counter-proposal to rename a large part of North America America Mexicana, in line with a map that was in use in the 17th century.

Trump's actual possibilities of gaining international recognition for his new designation are also likely to reach their limits in the truest sense of the word: This is because states only have jurisdiction in the twelve nautical mile-wide strip of their coastal waters. In addition to the USA, this also applies to the two other neighbouring countries Mexico and Cuba. Apart from that, the 1.5 million square kilometre Gulf of Mexico is international waters.

However, to put it mildly, it is unlikely that the Gulf of America will be recognised worldwide. This is because standardisation is the responsibility of the international United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN). In addition, affected countries must agree to every change proposed by the committee. So Donald Trump would have a lot of convincing to do.

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