Did the “Gulf of Mexico” officially change to “Gulf of America”? This is progressing according to the Department of the Interior

The US Department of the Interior said it is moving forward with restoring the name of the “Gulf of Mexico” which will be renamed the “Gulf of America.”

The name changes to the ocean basin contained between the coastlines of Mexico, the United States and Cuba, called “Gulf of Mexico” to be named “Gulf of America”, are advancing according to the US Department of the Interior.

Although some media have taken the name change for granted, the truth is that several processes are still needed and experts point out that there are several steps to follow to really achieve official changes to the names.

In a statement, the United States Department of the Interior indicated that it is “moving forward in the restoration of historical names that honor American greatness,” referring that according to the president's instructions “the 'Gulf of Mexico' will officially be called 'Gulf of America'. ' and the highest peak in North America will once again bear the name 'Mount McKinley.'”

It was indicated that this derives from an executive order by President Donald Trump that was made when he took office as US president, again.

“The United States Board on Geographic Names, under the supervision of the Department of the Interior, is working rapidly to update the official federal nomenclature in the Geographic Names Information System to reflect these changes, effective immediately for federal use,” it stated. .

They add that these changes seek to reaffirm the commitment of the American country to “preserve the extraordinary heritage of the United States and ensure that future generations of Americans celebrate the legacy of its heroes and its historical assets.”

According to the US website, the Department of the Interior (DOI) manages the nation's public lands and minerals, national parks, national wildlife refuges, and water resources.

Meanwhile, Innisfree McKinnon, a professor in the Geography department at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, said in an analysis that changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico is a different case from changing the name of a geographic place within the borders of the United States. .

“The Board on Geographic Names could change the name to Gulf of America on official maps of the United States, but there is no international board in charge of place names,” he explained on the specialized website The Conversation.

McKinnon said it is possible that the United States will formally ask other countries to change the name or even impose sanctions on countries that do not comply.

And he added that in the event that “if names were officially changed in the United States, the government would use the new names on official documents, posters and maps.”

He mentioned that as for the people and companies in the world that make maps, they normally use official names, but “there is nothing that forces them to do so if they believe that a certain name is more recognized.”