Google has renamed the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America on Google Maps for US users. AFP
Google has renamed the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America on Google Maps for US users. AFP
Google has renamed the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America on Google Maps for US users. AFP
Google has renamed the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America on Google Maps for US users. AFP

Google Maps changes 'Gulf of Mexico' to 'Gulf of America' for US users


Sara Ruthven
  • English
  • Arabic

Google has changed “Gulf of Mexico” to “Gulf of America” on its Maps app for US users, after US President Donald Trump announced the official name change at the federal level.

“As we announced two weeks ago and consistent with our long-standing practices, we’ve begun rolling out changes to reflect this update. People using Maps in the US will see 'Gulf of America' and people in Mexico will see 'Gulf of Mexico',” Google said on its blog. “Everyone else will see both names.”

An updated Google map shows the Gulf of America. Getty Images / AFP
An updated Google map shows the Gulf of America. Getty Images / AFP

The company stated its intention to make the change in late January, saying it was policy to adjust names when they have been updated in official government sources.

It added that the names users see are based on country location, which is determined by information from phone operating system, including SIM card, network and locale. For web users, the names are based on the region you select in Search settings or the device’s location.

During Mr Trump's inaugural speech on January 20, he stated his intention to make the change, saying: “America will reclaim its rightful place as the greatest, most powerful, most respected nation on Earth, inspiring the awe and admiration of the entire world.”

Google Maps users outside Mexico and the US will see both names. Photo: Screengrab from Google Maps
Google Maps users outside Mexico and the US will see both names. Photo: Screengrab from Google Maps

He later signed an executive order focused on “restoring names that honour American greatness”, which included the renaming of Alaska's Denali – a name the native Koyukon people have used to refer to the peak for centuries – to Mt McKinley.

“It is in the national interest to promote the extraordinary heritage of our Nation and ensure future generations of American citizens celebrate the legacy of our American heroes,” the order stated.

After Mr Trump first floated the idea ahead of his inauguration, in early January, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum presented a map from 1607 at her morning news conference and proposed her own name change.

“Why don’t we call it Mexican America?” Ms Sheinbaum said, indicating the map's name for the modern US. “It would sound nice, right?”

If you go

 

  • The nearest international airport to the start of the Chuysky Trakt is in Novosibirsk. Emirates (www.emirates.com) offer codeshare flights with S7 Airlines (www.s7.ru) via Moscow for US$5,300 (Dh19,467) return including taxes. Cheaper flights are available on Flydubai and Air Astana or Aeroflot combination, flying via Astana in Kazakhstan or Moscow. Economy class tickets are available for US$650 (Dh2,400).
  • The Double Tree by Hilton in Novosibirsk ( 7 383 2230100,) has double rooms from US$60 (Dh220). You can rent cabins at camp grounds or rooms in guesthouses in the towns for around US$25 (Dh90).
  • The transport Minibuses run along the Chuysky Trakt but if you want to stop for sightseeing, hire a taxi from Gorno-Altaisk for about US$100 (Dh360) a day. Take a Russian phrasebook or download a translation app. Tour companies such as  Altair-Tour ( 7 383 2125115 ) offer hiking and adventure packages.
Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

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Liverpool 5-5 Arsenal  (Oct 30, EFL)

Arsenal 1-1 Wolves (Nov 02, PL)

Vitoria Guimaraes 1-1 Arsenal  (Nov 6, Europa)

Leicester 2-0 Arsenal (Nov 9, PL)

Arsenal 2-2 Southampton (Nov 23, PL)

Arsenal 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt (Nov 28, Europa)

Norwich 2-2 Arsenal (Dec 01, PL)

Arsenal 1-2 Brighton (Dec 05, PL)

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Tackling money goals one at a time cost financial literacy expert Barbara O'Neill at least $1 million.

That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.

"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.

Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."

People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.

"By putting off saving for the future, you are really inhibiting yourself from benefiting from that wonderful magic," says Kimberly Zimmerman Rand , an accredited financial counsellor and principal at Dragonfly Financial Solutions in Boston. "If you can start saving today ... you are going to have a lot more five years from now than if you decide to pay off debt for three years and start saving in year four."

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Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000

Available: Now

Wicked: For Good

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater

Rating: 4/5

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MATCH INFO

Newcastle United 1 (Carroll 82')

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Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah

Director: Majid Al Ansari

Rating: 4/5

French business

France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Updated: February 12, 2025, 6:04 AM