In a recent move stirring controversy, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has formally reached out to Google, requesting the tech giant to rethink its plan to rename the Gulf of Mexico. The culprits behind this shift, an executive order signed by former U.S. President Donald Trump, aims to label the Gulf as the "Gulf of America" specifically in the U.S.—an initiative that has drawn ire from Mexico, which maintains that the name should remain as it has been for centuries.
The Gulf of Mexico is a body of water bordered by the United States, Cuba, and Mexico, and Mexico asserts that any unilateral name change by the U.S. is illegitimate under international law. According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a sovereign nation’s territory is defined only up to 12 nautical miles from its coastline. Sheinbaum, in her letter to Google, articulated that the name alteration "could only correspond to the 12 nautical miles away from the coastlines of the United States of America."
Despite the ongoing debate, Google has yet to make a comment on the issue but stated on social media that it typically adopts name changes when supported by official government sources. They noted that maps will display local names depending on the user's geographical location, with plans also to refer to Mount Denali as Mount McKinley in the U.S. This is due to the differing official names maintained by various countries.
In a display of light-heartedness during these tense discussions, Sheinbaum suggested humorously that Mexico might demand additional renaming tasks from Google. "By the way, we are also going to ask for Mexican America to appear on the map," she remarked. Previously, she had said she would consider redesignating North America as "América Mexicana."
Sheinbaum has been vocal about her discontent, arguing that Google should reject "the mandate of a country" that seeks to alter the name of a significant international water body. Despite historical attempts to enforce this name change, the Gulf remains steadfast in its identity as the Gulf of Mexico to the wider global community.
The Gulf of Mexico is a body of water bordered by the United States, Cuba, and Mexico, and Mexico asserts that any unilateral name change by the U.S. is illegitimate under international law. According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a sovereign nation’s territory is defined only up to 12 nautical miles from its coastline. Sheinbaum, in her letter to Google, articulated that the name alteration "could only correspond to the 12 nautical miles away from the coastlines of the United States of America."
Despite the ongoing debate, Google has yet to make a comment on the issue but stated on social media that it typically adopts name changes when supported by official government sources. They noted that maps will display local names depending on the user's geographical location, with plans also to refer to Mount Denali as Mount McKinley in the U.S. This is due to the differing official names maintained by various countries.
In a display of light-heartedness during these tense discussions, Sheinbaum suggested humorously that Mexico might demand additional renaming tasks from Google. "By the way, we are also going to ask for Mexican America to appear on the map," she remarked. Previously, she had said she would consider redesignating North America as "América Mexicana."
Sheinbaum has been vocal about her discontent, arguing that Google should reject "the mandate of a country" that seeks to alter the name of a significant international water body. Despite historical attempts to enforce this name change, the Gulf remains steadfast in its identity as the Gulf of Mexico to the wider global community.
