Trump Wants to Change Name of Gulf of Mexico to ‘Gulf of America.’ Can He Do That?
Why is Trump talking about renaming the Gulf of Mexico?
President Donald Trump said in his inaugural address that he will change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America,” repeating an idea he first brought up earlier this month during a news conference. “America will reclaim its rightful place as the greatest, most powerful, most respected nation on Earth, inspiring the awe and admiration of the entire world,” he said on Monday. “A short time from now, we are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.”
It’s his latest suggestion to redraw the map of the Western Hemisphere. Trump has repeatedly referred to Canada as the “51st State,” demanded that Denmark consider ceding Greenland, and called for Panama to return the Panama Canal. Trump also spoke about taking back the vital waterway during his inaugural speech.
Can Trump change the name of the Gulf of Mexico?
Maybe, but it’s not a unilateral decision, and other countries don’t have to go along. The International Hydrographic Organization — of which both the United States and Mexico are members — works to ensure all the world’s seas, oceans and navigable waters are surveyed and charted uniformly, and also names some of them. There are instances where countries refer to the same body of water or landmark by different names in their own documentation.
It can be easier when a landmark or body of water is within a country’s boundaries. In 2015, then-President Barack Obama approved an order from the Department of Interior to rename Mount McKinley — the highest peak in North America — to Denali, a move that Trump has also said he wants to reverse.
How did the Gulf of Mexico get its name?
The body of water has been depicted with that name for more than four centuries, an original determination believed to have been taken from a Native American city of “Mexico.”
Has renaming the Gulf of Mexico come up before?
Yes. In 2012, a member of the Mississippi Legislature proposed a bill to rename portions of the gulf that touch that state’s beaches “Gulf of America,” a move the bill author later referred to as a “joke.” That bill, which was referred to a committee, did not pass. Two years earlier, comedian Stephen Colbert had joked on his show that, following the massive Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, it should be renamed “Gulf of America” because, “We broke it, we bought it.”
Are there other international disputes over the names of places?
There’s a long-running dispute over the name of the Sea of Japan among Japan, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, with South Korea arguing that the current name wasn’t commonly used until Korea was under Japanese rule. At an International Hydrographic Organization meeting in 2020, member states agreed on a plan to replace names with numerical identifiers and develop a new digital standard for modern geographic information systems.
The Persian Gulf has been widely known by that name since the 16th century, although usage of “Gulf” and “Arabian Gulf” is dominant in many countries in the Middle East. The government of Iran threatened to sue Google in 2012 over the company’s decision not to label the body of water at all on its maps.
Conclusion
Renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” is a complex issue that requires international cooperation and agreement. While Trump has the authority to make changes within the United States, he cannot unilaterally change the name of a body of water that is shared with another country.
FAQs
Q: Why does Trump want to rename the Gulf of Mexico?
A: Trump has repeatedly clashed with Mexico over a number of issues, including border security and the imposition of tariffs on imported goods.
Q: Can Trump change the name of the Gulf of Mexico unilaterally?
A: No, the International Hydrographic Organization — of which both the United States and Mexico are members — works to ensure all the world’s seas, oceans and navigable waters are surveyed and charted uniformly, and also names some of them.
Q: Has renaming the Gulf of Mexico come up before?
A: Yes, a member of the Mississippi Legislature proposed a bill to rename portions of the gulf that touch that state’s beaches “Gulf of America” in 2012.
