On Friday, the Interior Department of the Trump administration announced that it has officially rebranded the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. Additionally, they have also renamed the Alaskan peak Denali as Mount McKinley.
Ordered Name Changes as Part of a Flurry of Activity In a whirlwind of activity, the name changes were ordered.
Just hours after assuming office on Monday, the new president wasted no time in fulfilling one of his key campaign pledges.
The Interior Department announced in a statement that, as per the President’s directive, the Gulf of Mexico will now be officially referred to as the Gulf of America. Additionally, the highest peak in North America will revert to its original name, Mount McKinley.
In 1975, at the request of the state, the mountain previously known as Mount McKinley was renamed Denali. Denali, which means ‘tall’ in the Koyukon Indigenous language, now holds this name.
The Department stated that these changes are a reiteration of the nation’s dedication to protecting the remarkable legacy of the United States and ensuring that future generations of Americans honor the accomplishments of its heroes and historic landmarks.
During his inaugural address on Monday, Trump praised McKinley, a Republican president who served from 1897 to 1901, for his role in boosting the country’s wealth through tariffs and his natural business acumen. It was during McKinley’s presidency that the United States expanded its territories, acquiring Hawaii, Guam, and Puerto Rico. Notably, Hawaii eventually became a state of the United States.
Although Trump has the authority to instruct the U.S. Geological Survey to alter the way it labels the Gulf of Mexico, it is doubtful that such a modification would be acknowledged on an international scale.
Mexico, like the United States, has a long coastline surrounding the body of water. The Gulf of Mexico name is internationally recognized and has served as a maritime navigational reference for centuries.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum recently made a lighthearted suggestion to rename North America, including the United States. She playfully proposed a humorous alternative name for the continent, sparking some laughs and smiles.
The name “- an historic name used on an early map of the region” holds significant historical value as it appears on an early map of the area.
