It sounds like something out of a satire headline, but it actually happened. On January 20, 2025, just hours after his second inauguration, Donald Trump signed an executive order that sent cartographers and diplomats into a tailspin. He officially directed federal agencies to stop using the term "Gulf of Mexico" and start calling it the Gulf of America.
The move wasn't a total surprise if you were following the campaign trail in late 2024 or caught his Mar-a-Lago press conference that January. He’d been testing the phrase for weeks. He called it "appropriate." He called it "beautiful."
Naturally, the internet exploded. People were asking: Can he even do that? ## The Executive Order and the "Gulf of America"
Executive Order 14172 didn't just suggest a nickname; it laid out a specific mandate for the U.S. Interior Department. The order targeted the U.S. Continental Shelf—basically the massive stretch of water reaching from the coasts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida down toward the maritime boundaries of Mexico and Cuba.
The logic from the White House was pure "America First." The administration argued that since the U.S. does "most of the work" in the area regarding security and resource extraction, the name should reflect American interests.
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Why the change?
- Economic Pride: Trump pointed to the billions in tourism and crude oil production generated along the coast.
- Geopolitics: The move was explicitly tied to trade deficits and border security tensions with Mexico.
- Nationalism: It matched other name-change efforts, like reverting Alaska’s Denali back to Mount McKinley.
Basically, the administration wanted to plant a flag—not in the ground, but in the dictionary.
Can a President Actually Change a Map?
Here is where things get kind of messy. In the United States, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is the gatekeeper of official titles. Usually, they are a pretty quiet group of experts who make sure every creek and hill has a standard name so emergency services and pilots don't get lost.
By February 2025, the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) was updated to reflect the "Gulf of America." If you’re a federal employee writing a report for NOAA or the Coast Guard, you have to use that name. If you're a private citizen? You can call it whatever you want.
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Honestly, the biggest impact was on the tech giants. Google Maps and Apple Maps found themselves in a weird spot. Since February 2025, Google has used a "localized" approach. If you’re searching from a device in Dallas, you might see "Gulf of America." If you’re searching from Mexico City or London, it still says "Gulf of Mexico."
The International Backlash
You can't just rename a body of water that you share with other sovereign nations and expect them to go, "Yeah, sure, sounds good." Mexico’s President, Claudia Sheinbaum, didn't hold back. She sarcastically suggested that if the U.S. was going to rename the Gulf, maybe Mexico should start calling North America "Mexican America."
The United Nations and the International Hydrographic Organization haven't budged. To the rest of the world, it remains the Golfo de México.
The Associated Press Standoff
One of the weirder side stories involved the White House press pool. In February 2025, the administration actually barred the Associated Press (AP) from certain events because the outlet refused to adopt the new name in its style guide. It took a federal judge’s injunction in April to get them back in the room. It turns out, you can’t force the press to use government-mandated "branding" without hitting some First Amendment walls.
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What it Means for You Today
If you live in Florida or Texas, you've probably noticed the shift. Governor Ron DeSantis was one of the first to adopt the name in state executive orders, citing "low pressure moving across the Gulf of America" during winter storms.
But for most of us, the change is mostly paperwork. Your old textbooks aren't going to spontaneously rewrite themselves, and the fish don't care what the water is called.
Actionable Insights for Navigating the Change:
- Check Your Sources: If you're looking at a U.S. government map (like those from the USGS), expect to see "Gulf of America." For international travel or research, "Gulf of Mexico" remains the standard.
- Search Smart: When searching for maritime data or fishing reports, you might need to use both terms to find the most recent federal data vs. local community reports.
- Understand the Legalities: Remember that this name change only applies to federal executive branch documents. It doesn't legally rename the territory for the rest of the world.
Whether this name sticks long-term or gets reversed by a future administration remains to be seen. Historically, these kinds of changes take decades to sink into the public consciousness—or they vanish with the next stroke of a pen.
To stay updated on how this affects federal regulations and maritime law, keep an eye on official bulletins from the Department of the Interior or the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.