Google Maps to adopt ‘Gulf of America’ as US govt changes name

Google Maps will change the name of The Gulf of Mexico to The Gulf of America in line with President Donald Trump’s wishes.

The newly inaugurated* president ordered the name change as part of a lengthy list of executive actions just hours after taking office on January 20.

Now Google has revealed it will change the ocean basin’s name once it is officially updated in the US Geographic Names System.

The change will be visible in the US, but the name will remain “Gulf of Mexico” in Mexico.

Outside of the two countries, users will see both names on Google Maps.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum earlier this month suggested North America be renamed “Mexican America” – a historic name used on an early map of the region.

Florida was the first US state to describe The Gulf of Mexico as The Gulf of America in a weather alert last week.

The Trump administration’s Interior Department said it had also officially overturned the name of the Alaskan peak Denali, the tallest mountain in North America, to Mount McKinley.

The mountain’s name debate has raged for more than a century. Efforts to sign its traditional Native American name into law failed in 1917 but on the eve of the National Park Service’s centenary* in 2016, then-President Barack Obama restored the name Denali.

Now Google Maps, which is owned by Alphabet’s Google, followed the Interior Department’s lead by adopting the Mount McKinley name. Despite the move, the National Park and Preserve Alaska site notes that “Mount McKinley” is not in keeping with naming practices of the area’s traditional custodians as they rarely name places after people.

The run of renaming news comes as Trump’s new press secretary invited TikTokers and podcasters to apply for White House press passes, in a push to reach beyond the mainstream* media organisations. A vocal fan of social media, the US President has often slammed so-called traditional news outlets in response to scrutiny* from professional journalists.

In her first time at the White House podium, Karoline Leavitt said an additional seat for “new media voices” had been reserved at the front of the cramped briefing room.

Mr Trump has repeatedly criticised traditional media as the “enemy of the people,” and he credits a series of podcast appearances for aiding his return to the White House.

“As the youngest press secretary in history, thanks to President Trump, I take great pride in opening up this room to new media voices,” the 27-year-old Leavitt told a packed briefing room. “Whether you are a TikTok content creator, a blogger, a podcaster, if you are producing legitimate* news content … you will be allowed to apply for press credentials* to this White House,” she said.

POLL

GLOSSARY

• inaugurated: put someone into an official position with a ceremony
• centenary: the 100th anniversary of an important event
• mainstream: considered normal, and having or using ideas, beliefs and practices that are accepted by most people
• scrutiny: careful and close inspection or study of something or someone in order to get accurate information about it
• legitimate: reasonable, sensible, valid, meeting established standards
• credentials: abilities, qualifications and experience that make someone suitable for something

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QUICK QUIZ

1. Donald Trump become president for the second time on what date?
2. What was the name given to America in an early map of the region?
3. How has White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt made history?
4. Why is Trump’s executive order to bring back the name Mount McKinley not in keeping with the naming practices of the regions traditional custodians?
5. Who restored the traditional Native American name Denali in 2016?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Do you agree?
“Leaders shouldn’t focus on changing place names – there are much more important issues and problems they need to think about!”

Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Write a list of very convincing reasons for your answer.

Time: allow at least 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Civics and Citizenship

2. Extension
What do you think “legitimate news content” is? Use information in the story, your research skills and your own ideas to write a paragraph explaining your ideas on this topic. Use examples to back up your points.

Time: allow at least 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Ethical Capability

VCOP ACTIVITY
Imaginative dialogue
Imagine you were there during the White House press briefing with the Trump administration’s new press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Create a conversation between two characters from the article – you may need or want to include yourself as one of the characters. Don’t forget to try to use facts and details from the article to help make your dialogue as realistic as possible.

Go through your writing and highlight any punctuation you have used in green. Make sure you carefully check the punctuation used for the dialogue and ensure you have opened and closed the speaking in the correct places.