Apple is renaming the Gulf of Mexico in Apple Maps… and is going further than Google
Shortly after Google Maps changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, Apple Maps is starting to do the same.
When Google rolled out the name change at the weekend, the company took a three-pronged approach which means three different naming conventions are used in different parts of the world. Having started to implement the name change itself, Apple is showing that it is willing to do more than Google by making the change global.
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Google has opted to refer to the Gulf of America for users in the US, the Gulf of Mexico for those in Mexico, and the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America) for the rest of the world. Apple’s approach is a bit more straightforward -- it is simply using the name Gulf of America everywhere.
Apple said in a statement:
We’re implementing these changes globally, starting in the US today.
News of the change was first reported by Bloomberg, and the new name is now making its way to Apple Maps on iPhones, iPads and Macs around the world.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press says that it will continue to use the Gulf of Mexico, but will use the new name for Denali:
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. The body of water has shared borders between the U.S. and Mexico. Trump’s order only carries authority within the United States. Mexico, as well as other countries and international bodies, do not have to recognize the name change.
The Gulf of Mexico has carried that name for more than 400 years. The Associated Press will refer to it by its original name while acknowledging the new name Trump has chosen. As a global news agency that disseminates news around the world, the AP must ensure that place names and geography are easily recognizable to all audiences.
The agency added: “The Associated Press will use the official name change to Mount McKinley. The area lies solely in the United States and as president, Trump has the authority to change federal geographical names within the country”.
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