Trump Signs Executive Order Renaming Gulf of Mexico To Gulf of America

In a bold move, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Sunday, officially renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America”, and declaring February 9 as “Gulf of America Day”.

The proclamation, made aboard Air Force One while en route from Palm Beach, Florida, to New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX, marks the culmination of an effort that began with an executive order signed on January 20.

This earlier order officially renamed the gulf and outlined plans for the change to be formalized within 30 days.

The executive order, titled “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness”, directed the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to finalize the Gulf of America name change and to begin using the new term in all official government communications and documents.

The U.S. Coast Guard has already begun referring to the region as the “Gulf of America” in official dispatches, signaling a shift in terminology that could soon extend to other areas of public life.

Restoring ‘American Pride’

Trump framed the renaming as a symbolic gesture to honor the Gulf’s historical significance to the United States, emphasizing its vital role in American trade, economic development, and national prosperity.

“As my Administration restores American pride in the history of American greatness, it is fitting and appropriate for our great Nation to come together and commemorate this momentous occasion and the renaming of the Gulf of America,” Trump said in a statement aboard Air Force One, as quoted by the official White House website.

The renamed “Gulf of America” covers the U.S. Continental Shelf area, extending from the coastlines of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, and stretching to Mexico and Cuba’s maritime boundaries.

Trump encouraged Americans to observe Gulf of America Day with ceremonies, programs, and activities that celebrate the region’s contributions to the nation’s growth.

The move has been met with a mix of reactions, including reports of growing tensions between the U.S. and Mexico.

Trump had previously threatened to impose a 25% tariff on Mexican goods but paused the action after Mexico agreed to deploy 10,000 National Guard soldiers to its border.

While the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico has drawn some criticism, Trump remains adamant, asserting that it’s an overdue recognition of the Gulf’s role in the United States’ economic history.

Despite the official change, it remains unclear whether educational institutions will adopt the new name or if it will be integrated into everyday use.

The Google Update

Meanwhile, Google has updated the name Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America in its maps.

“We’ve received a few questions about naming within Google Maps. We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources,” the company had said in a post on X last month.

“For geographic features in the U.S., this is when Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is updated.

“When that happens, we will update Google Maps in the U.S. quickly to show Mount McKinley and Gulf of America.

“Also longstanding practice: When official names vary between countries, Maps users see their official local name. Everyone in the rest of the world sees both names. That applies here too,” Google said.