I grew up on the west coast of Florida, and we always just call it “the Gulf,” but soon Google Maps will be showing it as the Gulf of America thanks to President Trump.

The Gulf of America

Last week the Trump administration’s Interior Department issued a statement that it had officially changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, and the Alaskan peak Denali, to Mount McKinley.

Google Maps will change the name of “Gulf of Mexico” to “Gulf of America” once it is officially updated in the U.S. Geographic Names System. On my last check this morning, the names were unchanged on both Google Maps and Google Earth.

The name changes will be visible in the U.S., but the name for the Gulf will remain “Gulf of Mexico” in Mexico. Outside of the two countries, users will see both names on Google Maps.

Molly of Mount McKinley?

Denali, located in Alaska, is the tallest mountain in North America. It actually has been called Mount McKinley before, in honor of former U.S. President William McKinley. It was renamed Denali, which means “the tall one” or “the high one” in the Koyukon Indigenous language, in 1975 at the state’s request.

Molly of Denali is a popular animated children’s television series that airs on PBS Kids. The show centers around a 10-year-old Alaska Native girl named Molly Mabray, who lives in the fictional village of Qyah, Alaska. Molly is of Gwich’in, Koyukon, and Dena’ina Athabascan heritage, and the show celebrates her culture, traditions, and everyday adventures with her family and friends.

Molly of Mount McKinley just doesn’t have the same ring to it!

Why Was it Named Gulf of Mexico First?

The term “gulf” refers to a large, enclosed body of water that is partly surrounded by land, and the Gulf of Mexico is bordered by Mexico to the west and south, the United States to the north, and Cuba to the southeast.

The name originates from the period of Spanish exploration and colonization in the Americas. When Spanish explorers arrived in the region during the early 1500s, they named the large body of water “El Golfo de México” (The Gulf of Mexico) because much of its coastline belonged to the Spanish territory that is now Mexico.

The reason for the change? Trump says it reflects the U.S. efforts in the region and the name should be changed to reflect that.

Why the Change from Denali Back to McKinley

The mountain was originally named after McKinley in 1896, after a prospector walked out of the Alaska wilderness, and the first news he heard was that McKinley had been nominated for president.

The mountain’s name was changed to Denali in 2015 by President Barack Obama’s administration, as a symbolic gesture to Alaska Natives after a visit highlighting climate change.

According to Trump, he issued the order to “restore the name of a great president, William McKinley, to Mount McKinley, where it should be and where it belongs. President McKinley made our country very rich through tariffs and through talent.”

The general consensus in Alaska is that he can change the name on maps, but nobody will be calling it that.

 A Matter of Personal Opinion

What do you think about these changes? Is this really what the new president should be spending his time and the American resources on? Don’t we have bigger issues for the president to address?

Personally, I feel like this is a political power move. Like, look what I can do!

One thing I do know is, we’ll still just be calling it “The Gulf” here in Florida.