Google Maps began to show the name of “America Gulf” instead of “Gulf of Mexico için for web and mobile users in the United States. This change was made after the former US President Donald Trump officially changed the name of the water bodies between the eastern coast of Mexico and Florida. Google has announced that it is compatible with the US official geographic database, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
This change was reflected only to users in the USA. In Mexico, people who use Google maps still continue to see the name “Mexican Gulf ,, while users in other countries are encountered in parentheses as well as“ American Gulf ”. Google, users’ geographical positions with mobile operating system, SIM card information and network data determined that it determines and regulates the naming to be shown accordingly, he said. Desktop users can see the change based on search settings or device locations.
For now, Apple has not changed any name on the Apple map. However, when Apple searches for “American Gulf” in the map service, users are directly directed to the “Gulf of Mexico”. In addition, other popular map platforms such as Mapquest have not yet applied the name change.
Waze, another Google map application, discussed this change in a different way. Waz users can see both the old and new name when they search for “Gulf of Mexico”, while there is no result when the “Gulf of America” search is made.
This name change is considered as part of the policies of the Trump administration reshaping the geographical and historical references of the United States. The Trump administration had previously made attempts to change the name of Denali Mountain in Alaska to Mount Mount McKinley. However, such noun changes are among the sensitive issues in terms of international relations.
The change made in Google Maps application attracted Mexico’s reaction
The Mexican government expressed his discomfort about the change of name. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum sent a letter to Google and demanded that the company comply with the international standards set by the United Nations and protected the name “Gulf of Mexico” on their maps. Sheinbaum emphasized that the Gulf contains international waters other than the United States, and therefore such a change of name may only be valid within the US borders.
International experts say that such changes can create confusion in global geographical terminology. Regional differences can occur, especially in multinational map services, considering the naming preferences of different countries.
Google, while updating geographical naming in the map service, is mostly based on official government resources, he says. Updates from US -based databases such as GNIS can directly affect Google Maps’ name policies. However, in the case of internationally valid geographical names, it is emphasized that the company should adapt to globally accepted standards.
The fact that Google Maps change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to “America Gulf” stands out as an important example of how the US internal political decisions are reflected in technology platforms. However, how this change will be met by other countries and global users seems to continue to be the subject of discussion in the coming period.