Gulf of Mexico to ‘Gulf of America’
On Sunday, February 9, 2025, US President Donald Trump declared the date “Gulf of America Day” after officially renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. The name change came after Executive Order 14172, which was signed on January 20, 2025, instructing the US Secretary of the Interior to formalize the Gulf of America name change within 30 days.
Trump signed the proclamation aboard Air Force One as he traveled from Palm Beach, Florida, to New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX. According to Fox5 DC, Trump stated, “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”.
The executive order, titled ‘Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness’, specifies the Gulf of America as the “US Continental Shelf area, bordered by Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, extending to Mexico and Cuba’s maritime boundaries”.
Trump called on public officials and citizens to commemorate Gulf of America Day with ceremonies, programs, and activities celebrating the region’s contributions to national prosperity. The US Coast Guard has already begun using the term “Gulf of America” in official communications.
Google Maps has confirmed that the name change will be updated in the US Geographic Names System. For users in the United States, the name will be altered to “Gulf of America”, while it will remain “Gulf of Mexico” within Mexico. For users outside of these two countries, both names will be displayed.
The move comes at a time when tensions between the Trump administration and neighboring Mexico have been heightened.
