NOAA: Gulf of America or Gulf of Mexico?

"Gulf of America" Controversy

Subject: Review of the "Gulf of America" naming dispute and related implications.

Meteorology Matters summarizes the controversy surrounding the potential renaming of the "Gulf of Mexico" to the "Gulf of America" by the United States government, specifically under the direction of President Trump. The change, initiated via executive order, has sparked international debate, particularly with Mexico, and raises significant practical and political implications for mapping, weather forecasting, and international relations. Mexico is considering legal action, and agencies like NOAA are struggling to implement the change while maintaining international consistency and relevance.

Key Themes & Information:

1. The Name Change Initiative:

• President Trump issued a decree/executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America." The impetus for this change is not explicitly stated, but Time refers to a Trump declaration that he "would change the Gulf's name."
• The NOAA is in the process of implementing the Executive Order. Susan Buchanan, a National Weather Service spokesperson, said that the change would affect all of the agency's weather products, "Work is underway to update naming conventions as quickly as possible on nautical charts, online maps, weather products, websites and other materials across NOAA."

1. Mexican Opposition and Potential Legal Action:

• The Mexican government, under President Claudia Sheinbaum, strongly opposes the name change, arguing that the name "Gulf of Mexico" dates back to 1607 and is internationally recognized by the United Nations.
• Sheinbaum indicated that Mexico sent a letter to Google stating it was "wrong" and that "the entire Gulf of Mexico cannot be called the Gulf of America."
• Mexico is considering a civil lawsuit against Google for adopting the "Gulf of America" name on its maps, especially as it is displayed to users within the United States. Sheinbaum stated her government "wouldn’t rule out filing a civil lawsuit against Google if it… decided to call the Gulf of Mexico and the southeastern United States the ‘Gulf of America.’"

1. Geopolitical & Historical Context:

• Sheinbaum used historical context to subtly criticize Trump. She referred to the constitution of Apatzingán, in which the North American territory was previously identified as "Mexican America".
• The dispute highlights potential clashes over geographic naming conventions and their political significance, especially concerning shared borders and resources. The Time article also notes a similar issue with the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo border river.

1. Implementation Challenges:

• NOAA faces challenges in implementing the name change in weather forecasts, especially for areas outside the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. The Axios article states, "The Hurricane Center hasn't determined yet how it will handle its forecasts outside the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone while being consistent with Trump's executive order."
• Google's approach has been to adapt the displayed name based on the user's location, showing "Gulf of America" in the U.S. and "Gulf of Mexico" in Mexico, or a combination elsewhere. As the Time article states, "If the user is in the United States, the body of water appeared as Gulf of America. If the user was physically in Mexico, it would appear as the Gulf of Mexico. In many other countries across the world it appears as ‘Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America).’"