By Daria Okruta
Staff Writer
Many well know that newly re-elected President Trump changed the name “Gulf of Mexico” to “Gulf of America.” The Executive Order that completed the motion was signed at the end of January.
The Executive Order is known as “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness.” According to the President, the Gulf plays a vital role in our nation’s pride, as well as our economy. Along with this change, Mount Denali was re-named Mount McKinley.
Why was the Gulf named after Mexico in the first place? Indigenous cultures had many names for the Gulf, which were based on its appearance or in relation to spiritual beliefs, but those names were all but erased by arriving Europeans. That said, the name “Mexico” comes from Indigenous groups that lived in the areas.
Spain’s presence in the Americas and the Gulf’s location are mainly what influenced its name. Early maps referred to it as “Mexican Sound” or “Sea of the North.” By the seventeenth century, the name “Gulf of Mexico” was the most widely accepted. Additionally, naming it the “Gulf of Mexico” established Spain’s sovereignty in the area.
There is plenty of discourse on whether or not Trump was correct in changing the Gulf’s name to the Gulf of America. Google maps has even changed the names on devices used in the United States. Many users who disagree with the change had been flagging it as an error. Some countries — even ones outside the Americas — refuse to acknowledge the change, and keep “Gulf of Mexico” on their maps.
So far, it does not seem the President’s decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico has been a popular one. But, he has established Feb. 9 as “Gulf of America Day.” It appears the name is here to stay.