Summary
Rep. Dan Crenshaw criticized Apple Maps for not renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, as mandated by Trump’s recent executive order titled “Restoring Names that Honor American Greatness.”
Crenshaw’s complaint reflects broader conservative frustration, as tech platforms and the global community continue to use the original name.
Critics compare the move to past nationalist gestures like renaming french fries “freedom fries,” accusing conservatives of embracing identity politics and culture wars despite their political dominance.
The name change is unlikely to gain international traction.
As someone who worked in mapping, many people don’t realize how much this kind of BS actually comes up.
The map you see in Google / Apple maps isn’t the map the whole world sees. What you see is what’s culturally / legally appropriate for viewers in your region.
For example, in parts of India it’s legally required that Jammu and Kashmir be displayed as being part of India on their maps. On Pakistan’s maps it’s legally required to be weirdly ambiguous, with a strange open border that doesn’t properly close. The rest of the world gets dotted lines indicating it’s complicated.
For most of the world the body of water between Korea, Japan and Vladivostok is labeled as “The Sea of Japan”, but users in Korea will see “The East Sea”. Is the body of water around Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, etc. the Persian Gulf or the Arabian Gulf? Depends on where you are when you ask that question.
This even has a strange effect when all the countries involved agree that a certain geographic feature is the border, but that geographic feature is a river. Some rivers, especially ones like the Amazon river keep shifting. Sediment piles up, erosion happens, and the river shifts. The river is still the border, but now someone has to go in and adjust the political border to match the river’s new position.
So, if Trump does do something official to rename the Gulf of Mexico, the online mapping companies (and any offline ones that are left) will probably follow the rule and rename it… for their American users. The rest of the world will still see it as the Gulf of America. It will just be yet another one of those funny exceptions the companies have to keep track of while displaying maps for a certain subset of users.
The rest of the world will still see it as the Gulf of America.
of Mexico** I guess?
Er, yeah, that.
Thanks btw, really informative!
Should list it as “Gulf of Cuba” and watch their heads explode.
Thanks for the idea. I’m doing an edit on Apple maps to suggest that. 😈
Alternatively, call it the Gulf of Texas and grab some popcorn for the infighting.
Honestly that makes more sense than Gulf of America because at least it is a bit more descriptive. Looking forward to Mexico renaming Gulf of California next.
It’s also known as the Sea of Cortez
Mexico has two states named Baja California and California Sur at the gulf of California.
If anything California should be renamed to something less Mexican like Triumphia. Renaming the major cities to City of Angels, Saint Francis, Saint Joseph, Sacrament, Saint Doug, Ash Tree would then follow suit.
LMAO at title
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Whoever obeys Nazis, I will boycott your platform. Plain and simple.
Google also didn’t. Oof.
Cause most google users aren’t americans and the mental illness of a few sex criminals would disrupt their service.
It doesn’t matter who their customers are, Google is a us based company.
However, hopefully they are able to depose, delay, deny this ridiculousness
Executive orders mean shit, show me all the freedom fries in american stores.
Users with other languages will see a different name anyway.
That post also prompted me to check Google maps, and I got Gulf of Mexico, thankfully. However I’m sure there will soon be a US version with the proper denomination so that the new masters of the land can be placated.
As a Trans person I feel soooo bad /s
My favorite part is that the soviets beat us to the name
I know this has been said a lot, especially lately, but I think this is the true death knell of satire.
:(
Are eggs cheaper because of this?
I can’t with these neogulfnouns
Republicans upset that nobody respects their name change? Huh. Snowflakes.
Is this what small government looks like? I thought these guys were all about reducing regulations and allowing businesses to do as they please, free from government restrictions.
You don’t understand. They should be free of your restrictions, you should be bound by their restrictions.
I thought these guys were all about reducing regulations
Did you really? Be honest.
Small dick energy.
I’m waiting to hear what they want to do with New Mexico
I feel like New Mexico would rather secede and join Mexico before they bow to the administration.
Rename it to New America then in 4 years whine about New America trying to steal the light from old America because Democrats
Only after they deport all the new Mexicans
Probably a good time to try and sell maps and globes to red school districts.
You know some friend of the administration already took that spot. It was probably their idea in the first place.
