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Atlantic Ocean Basin and U.S. Mountain Undergo Name Changes

Photo of Mount McKinley: Unsplash / John Feng

On January 24, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.” Along with this change, the U.S. will return the Alaskan mountain Denali to its former name of Mount McKinley. 

According to the U.S. Department of the Interior: “These changes reaffirm the Nation’s commitment to preserving the extraordinary heritage of the United States and ensuring that future generations of Americans celebrate the legacy of its heroes and historic assets.”

“The U.S. Board on Geographic Names, under the purview of the Department of the Interior, is working expeditiously to update the official federal nomenclature in the Geographic Names Information System to reflect these changes, effective immediately for federal use.”  

The history behind the Gulf of Mexico’s name is indefinite. After going through a series of different names upon its discovery, in the 16th century English geographer Richard Hakluyt referred to the body of water as the Gulf of Mexico. Thereafter, the name was used by geographers and governments in reference to the region.

As for Mount McKinley, in 1896, gold-prospector William Dickey applied the name to the mountain as an act of support for William McKinley, who was a candidate for the U.S. presidency at the time. The name stuck over time; however, it was changed to Denali by President Barack Obama in 2015.

According to the New York Times, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum was critical of the Gulf of Mexico’s name change. She dismisses its relevance for the country of Mexico, and even the world: “For us and for the whole world, it is still the Gulf of Mexico,” Sheinbaum said in an address. 

Google will update these names on its map services when the changes are updated in the federal government system. The Associated Press announced that it will continue using the name Gulf of Mexico “while acknowledging the name Gulf of America.” Since Mount McKinley is located solely in the U.S., the news outlet will use that name instead of Denali. 

The Department of the Interior defended the President’s Executive Order by stating it “remains committed to upholding all aspects of President Trump’s executive order, ensuring that the names we use reflect the values, sacrifices, and accomplishments that define our Nation.”

“It’s an honor to be a part of this organization.”

- Former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders