Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday that her government may file a civil lawsuit against Google if it continues referring to the body of water between northeastern Mexico and the southeastern United States as the “Gulf of America.”
The dispute follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s declaration that he would rename the Gulf of Mexico. The region, long recognized internationally as the Gulf of Mexico, has drawn geopolitical attention as a result.
Sheinbaum stated during a news conference that Trump’s decree only applies to the “continental shelf of the United States” and does not affect Mexico’s sovereignty over its portion of the Gulf. “We have sovereignty over our continental shelf,” she said.
Sheinbaum’s administration sent a formal letter to Google objecting to the name change and asserting that “the entire Gulf of Mexico cannot be called the Gulf of America.” Despite this, Google has maintained its updated nomenclature.
Google stated last month on its X account, formerly Twitter, that it follows a “long-standing practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources.”
As of Thursday, Google Maps displayed different names for the Gulf depending on user location. In the United States, the body of water appears as the Gulf of America, while in Mexico, it remains the Gulf of Mexico. In many countries, it appears as “Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America).”
Sheinbaum defended the historical name, citing its recognition by the United Nations since 1607. She also referenced Mexico’s 1814 Apatzingán Constitution, which referred to North America as “Mexican America.” She suggested that if the renaming of the Gulf continues, Mexico may request that Google display “Mexican America” on maps when searched.
The dispute is the latest in a history of geographic naming differences between Mexico and the U.S. For instance, the border river between Texas and four Mexican states is called Rio Bravo in Mexico but Rio Grande in the U.S.
Meanwhile, the White House recently restricted Associated Press reporters from certain events, citing AP’s naming policy. The news agency continues to use “Gulf of Mexico” while also acknowledging Trump’s renaming in coverage to ensure global recognition of geographic terms.
