The President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, presented this Thursday the letter she sent to Google after it changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico on its Maps platform, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to call it the ‘Gulf of America.’
During La Mañanera del Pueblo at the National Palace, Sheinbaum read the document, highlighting that the name of the Gulf of Mexico has a historical origin and has been internationally recognized since the 17th century. Therefore, the renaming can only be imposed on the 12 miles that correspond to each nation surrounding it.
“This refers to territorial boundaries because the Gulf of Mexico is shared by different levels; one part is fully sovereign, other areas are economic zones, but it is clearly defined what part belongs to each, and in the case of oil exploitation or other natural resource extraction, it can only be done in the territorial or economic part that belongs to each state. This is defined by international standards,” said the Mexican president.
What does the letter Claudia Sheinbaum sent to Google say?
Here is the full text of the letter that President Claudia Sheinbaum sent to Google regarding the name change of the Gulf of Mexico:
Mr. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google
I am writing this letter to inform you of certain aspects regarding the information published on January 27th across various official Google accounts, announcing that the name of the Gulf of Mexico would be changed to “Gulf of America” on the Google Maps platform. This is relevant given the global importance of this platform, and because what is displayed on your maps can influence the international community.
In this regard, the Mexican Government presents the following:
- The name of the geographic area known as the Gulf of Mexico has a historical origin that is widely documented, being recognized since the early 17th century in various international maps. This name is the result of a geographic and political construction process that has been accepted and used by the international community, including the United States of America, since its independence in 1776 until the present day without interruption.
- The designation “Gulf of Mexico” is not the result of a unilateral governmental imposition, as incorrectly suggested by Google, but rather a name that has been accepted and historically recorded, which in addition to constituting an international custom, is legally registered in the indexes of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), of which both Mexico and the United States are members.
- Moreover, this name is supported by twelve bilateral treaties between both countries, which ensure its recognition in international legal terms and, therefore, its validation within the legal framework of both nations. Some of the most important treaties include:
- Peace, Friendship, and Boundary Treaty between the Mexican Republic and the United States of America (Guadalupe-Hidalgo), dated February 2, 1848.
- Within the marine zones under the jurisdiction of sovereign states, there is the continental shelf, which is the submerged extension of the coastal state’s territory. In this context, the governments of Mexico and the U.S. have signed treaties regarding their maritime boundaries, including the delimitation of their exclusive economic zones and the use of the extended continental shelf of the Gulf of Mexico. This leads to the conclusion that most of this body of water lies outside the sovereignty of any of its bordering states.
- As the company stated on January 27 through its account on the digital platform “X”:
“We have a standard practice of applying name changes when these are updated in official government sources. For geographical features in the U.S., this occurs when the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is updated. When this happens, we will quickly update Google Maps in the U.S. to show Mount McKinley and Gulf of America…”.
- Therefore, it is crucial to inform you that, considering that the Gulf of Mexico covers marine areas of three countries, not just the U.S., this case could only apply to the twelve nautical miles (22.224 km) from the coastlines of the United States of America.
Google Maps changes the name of the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America
Recently, Google Maps announced that it would change the name “Gulf of Mexico” to “Gulf of America” for users in the United States. This follows an executive order issued by President Donald Trump, who instructed government agencies to adopt this new name in official maps and federal documents.
Although the change will not be immediate, Google has confirmed that it will implement it as soon as U.S. authorities update their official databases. The company explained that this measure follows its policy of using official names provided by governments, ensuring consistency with local sources.
Why will the name of the Gulf of Mexico be changed?
The proposal came from U.S. President Donald Trump, who, days before taking office, referred to the Gulf of Mexico as a “flourishing economic resource” and highlighted its significance for the nation’s economy. For this reason, he suggested that its name should better reflect its importance to the country, proposing that it be renamed “Gulf of America.”
