Mexico’s Gulf or America’s Gulf? Google Map and Controversial Geography | Donald Trump News
Executive orders of the United States President Donald Trump have come under the purview of digital cartography. Google on Monday announced that its online mapping platform, Google Maps, would change the name of the Gulf of Mexico for users in the US.
Additionally, Google Maps will convert North America’s highest peak, Mount Denley’s name to Mount McCinley. These changes will be reflected on the forum after officially done by the US government.
Here is told how Google has dealt with places with disputed names in the past, and how will the new change work:
What will really change on Google map?
- The name of the Gulf of Mexico will turn into the Gulf of America for users that are within the US.
- It will be the Gulf of Mexico for users within Mexico.
- Google Maps will display both the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of America to users who are neither in the US nor in Mexico.
- Mount Denley’s name will be converted into Mount McCinley for Google Maps users worldwide.
How did we get here?
On his inauguration day on 20 January, Trump signed 26 executive orders. One of these orders changes the name of the Gulf of Mexico in the Gulf of America, and Mount Denley mounts Denali from McNley.
The Gulf of Mexico is a water body, which is bound in Mexico in Cuba, Eastern states: Tamulipus, Verakruz, thensco, then Campeche, Yukatan and Quintana Ro; And states on the Gulf coast of the United States: Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.
Alaska has the tallest mountain at an altitude of 6,190 meters (20,308 ft) in North America, a snow -covered Mount Denali.
The Gulf of Mexico has been named for about 400 years. In his book, The Principal Navigation, Voice and Discovers of the English Nation, published in 1589, English geography Richard Haklute called the water body “Gulf of Mexico”. In Mexico, the Gulf is also called from its Spanish name, L Golfo de Mexico.
Trump may change the name of the Gulf of Mexico for his domestic audiences, but the rest of the world do not go to the name change, because there are no international laws that decide whether to decide whether to decide whether a normal sea location or disputed area. What is called universally called.
Mount Denali’s name is more straightforward as it is part of the American region. Trump wants to change the name of Mountain Mount McKinley after former Republican William McCinley, who was President from 1897 to 1901, and never visited Alaska.
“The longest mountain in our country, called Denali for thousands of years, should be known by the correct name given by Alaska’s Koyukon Athabasans, who has placed the land on time,” Lisa Murkovski, a Republican from Alaska US Senator. , Posted on X as a response.
The mountain’s name was officially converted into Mount McCinley in 1917. In 2015, the name was returned to Denley, which was done by former Democrat President Barack Obama.
Denley, in Kuyuan ie in the language, means “long one” or “high one”. The indigenous people of Alaska, as well as other residents of the state, prefer the name Denali.
When will Google Map change?
The exact date is not yet known. When the US government officially changes, Google will update the name on its map application.
When Google posted on X on Monday, we have a long practice to apply name change. ,
In the case of the US, the change will reflect on the application when the names are updated in the Geographical Names Information System (GNIS), the official database created by the US Geological Survey (USGS) includes more than a million geographical names in the US.
It is not clear when the names will be updated on GNIS, but when Trump signed the executive order of January 20, he wanted to change the name within 30 days, which would be on 19 February.
Why did Google Maps change?
“When the official names vary between countries, maps users look at their official local name. Everyone in the rest of the world sees both names. This also applies here, “Google said in a post on X on Monday.
A 2008 Google Public Policy Blog Post further states: “For every difficult case, we gather a cross-functional group of Googlers, including software engineers, product managers, GIS experts, policy analysts and geopolitical researchers. This process benefits from local knowledge and experience of Googlers worldwide. ,
But there are also clear economic arguments that make decisions of companies like Google, say experts.
Companies like Google “make maps” to support their professional missions of search and advertising, so what they make, what they put in their maps, will eventually be decisions supporting those goals, ” An associate professor of Sterling Quin, an associate professor, Geography at the University of Central Washington told Al Jazeera.
Google’s approach, he said, “Try some customers as an angry as much as possible”, either by adding customization based on the field either by removing the names of places or by introducing ambiguity by introducing several names.
“Political disputes can depend on the economic and political power of the parties involved in corporate mapping decisions. I see Google’s ‘Gulf of America’ change as a sign that they want to maintain a seamless business, rather than a sign that they agree with Trump’s change, “Quinn said.
What has happened before?
Yes, Google Maps displays different names for some places, which depends on who is watching.
Kashmir
Both India and Pakistan control the parts of Kashmir and claim all the areas of the mountainous region. In 2019, India canceled the semi-lover situation of the Indian-prashed Kashmir, converting it into two regions-Jammu and Kashmir in the west and Ladakh in the east.
If you are in India, then Jammu and Kashmir, as well as Ladakh are part of India on Google Maps, with a solid black line around Kashmir. If you are in other countries including Pakistan, Google Maps prepares the outline of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as Ladakh, with a black dashed line.
Persian Gulf or Arab Gulf
What Iran has called the Persian Gulf is called the Gulf of Arabia by Arab nations. The water bodies are bound by Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
If you are in Iran, Google Maps labeled the water body as the Persian Gulf. If you are in an Arab country, which has a coast on the Gulf, such as Qatar, Google Maps will call it the Gulf of Arabia. If you are in another country, which does not have a coast on the Gulf, Google Maps labeled the water body “Gulf of Persia (Gulf of Arabia)”.
Japan or Eastern Sea Sea
The sea tied to Japan and Korean Peninsula is called C from Japan by Japan, while both North and South Korea are called Eastern Sea.
If you are in Japan, Google Maps labels it to the ocean of Japan. In South Korea, it appears as the eastern Sea. Outside Japan and South Korea, it manifests as “C (Eastern Sea) of Japan”.
How did people recently react to the announcement of Google Maps?
Google Maps announced the upcoming changes related to the Gulf of Mexico, inspiring a mixed bag of online reactions. While on X, while many welcomed the move, some posted about transferring other mapping platforms such as Apple maps.
When this happens, I will remove Google and use DuckDuckgo and Apple Maps.
– There is no blue checkmark, but voting blue (@uncletummytx) January 29, 2025
However, in November 2019, the lower house of the Russian Parliament announced that Apple Maps would showcase Crimeia as part of Russia when viewed from Russia. In 2014, Russia canceled Crimea in internationally condemned moves.
Outside Russia, Crimea is clearly marked as the Ukrainian region on the apple map.
Currently, on the Google map, there is a black dashed line between Ukraine and Crimea, as well as between Ukraine and Russia, whether the map is seen from Ukraine, Russia or any other country.
Al Jazeera came to Apple to ask whether Apple Maps are changing the name of Mexico’s Gulf or Mount Denali, but she received no response.
What are the maps purpose?
Not necessarily
“Many people want to treat maps like objective documents, but map is a product of culture and values of people that produce them.”
He said that the names of places have always been “fluid, contest and political”.
“Finally, people who use names will be what they decide what they are,” they said, people who use geographical sites in conversation, they are not always reflected in institutionally produced maps. Can
“It is said, widely used maps such as Google Maps have great ability to influence people’s way of viewing the world.”
