Published by Australian Institute of International Affairs (07 Feb 2025): From “Gulf of Mexico” to “Gulf of America”: More Division for the United States? – Australian Institute of International Affairs

By examining other territorial name disputes worldwide, we know that renaming the Gulf of Mexico could potentially promote division, identity politics, and undemocratic practices. These changes could develop into a new and existential threat for the US.

On Monday, 20 January 2025, it was announced that the new president of the United States of America, Donald Trump, issued an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, aiming to promote American greatness.

As such, within 30 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Interior shall, consistent with 43 U.S.C. 364 through 364f, take all appropriate actions to rename as the “Gulf of America” the U.S. Continental Shelf area bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the States of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida and extending to the seaward boundary with Mexico and Cuba in the area formerly named as the Gulf of Mexico. The Secretary shall subsequently update the GNIS to reflect the renaming of the Gulf and remove all references to the Gulf of Mexico from the GNIS, consistent with applicable law. The Board shall provide guidance to ensure all federal references to the Gulf of America, including on agency maps, contracts, and other documents and communications shall reflect its renaming, says part of the executive order uploaded online at the official website of the White House.

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