Mexico asks Google Maps not to rename Gulf of Mexico

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has written a letter to Google asking the agency to rethink its choice to rename the Gulf of Mexico.

US President Donald Trump signed an government order requiring the physique of water – which is bordered by the US, Cuba and Mexico – be renamed the Gulf of America in his first week in workplace.

It would solely seem on Google Maps with the brand new identify for folks primarily based within the US – elsewhere on this planet it should retain its present identify, which has been used for lots of of years.

However Mexico argues the U.S. can not legally change the Gulf’s identify as a result of the United Nations Conference on the Regulation of the Sea dictates that a person nation’s sovereign territory solely extends as much as 12 nautical miles out from the shoreline.

“[The name change] might solely correspond to the 12 nautical miles away from the coastlines of the USA of America,” Sheinbaum mentioned.

Google has not but responded to the BBC’s request for remark.

However in a press release on social media on Monday it mentioned: “We now have a longstanding apply of making use of identify adjustments after they have been up to date in official authorities sources.”

It would additionally rename Mount Denali as Mount McKinley within the US, following one other order from Trump.

“When official names differ between nations, Maps customers see their official native identify,” it mentioned.

Sheinbaum has criticised Google’s choice, saying the agency mustn’t reply to “the mandate of a rustic” to vary the identify of “a world sea”.

However she appeared to poke enjoyable at Trump’s transfer by joking Mexico could demand Google make some further renaming selections.

“By the way in which, we’re additionally going to ask for Mexican America to seem on the map,” she mentioned.

Sheinbaum beforehand joked she would think about renaming North America as “América Mexicana” within the nation.

“He says that he’ll name it the Gulf of America on its continental shelf,” Sheinbaum beforehand mentioned when Trump signed the manager order.

“For us it’s nonetheless the Gulf of Mexico, and for the complete world it’s nonetheless the Gulf of Mexico.”