the Gulf of America. So, farewell to the Gulf of Mexico. This change follows an executive order signed by Donald Trump, aimed at exerting political pressure on Mexico, which the President accuses of promoting illegal immigration and gang violence (that’s the official explanation).
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Google Paved the Way, Apple Follows Suit
Apple is now following Google Maps, which had previously changed the naming in its mapping service. However, this renaming only applies to American users: everywhere else in the world, the official name Gulf of Mexico
remains unchanged. Particularly in Mexico, where the gulf retains its original name, Golfo de México
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This isn’t the only change enforced by the new Trump administration. Mount Denali, the highest peak in the United States, is to revert to its former name of Mount McKinley, in honor of President William McKinley.
If these changes have taken time, it’s simply because of administrative delays. Google and Apple rely on official American sources to set their maps. In this case, they were waiting for the notification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) validating these new names. The name Gulf of America is also adopted by the U.S. Coast Guard, which reinforces its integration into the cartographic references of the United States.
A Geopolitical Stakes for Mapping Services
Apple, having entered the mapping game later than Google, now has to navigate the geopolitical issues related to borders and place names. Google Maps, accustomed to these local adaptations, for instance, shows Crimea as Russian in Russia, but as borderless in Ukraine. Similarly, in China, Taiwan is incorporated into Chinese territory on local maps.
With this change, Apple Maps complies and steps into the complexities of political decisions influencing digital cartography, an area becoming increasingly sensitive in international relations.