President-elect Donald J. Trump said Tuesday he plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America,” one of several foreign policy proposals that have upset world leaders. It is.
“It has a beautiful ring to it,” he said of the proposed renaming of the body of water that borders several U.S. and Mexican states.
Mr. Trump’s proposal was ridiculed in Mexico and cheered by late-night comedians, but supporters such as Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. vowed to make it a reality.
Who named the Gulf of Mexico?
bay name first appeared on the map It was used by Spanish explorers in the 16th century, long before the founding of the United States.
On Wednesday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum displayed a 1607 map that includes the Gulf of Mexico. Also, North America was referred to as “Mexican America.”
“Why not call it Mexican America? Sounds pretty, right?” Sheinbaum said.
Can President Trump rename the Gulf Coast?
As president, Trump may seek to change the geographic names used in the United States.
There is precedent. In 2015, President Obama used his executive authority to change the name of a mountain in Alaska from McKinley to Denali. Mr. Trump is swore to reverse that decision.
But whether other countries will respect any changes is another story.
“Currently, there are no formal international conventions or protocols governing the naming of maritime areas,” John Nyberg, director of the International Hydrographic Organization, which works to standardize and chart maritime boundaries, said in an email.
The National Geographic Naming Authority of the United States United States Geographical Names Boardhe added.
The U.S. Board of Geographical Names, part of the U.S. Geological Survey, stated on the website Name changes will only be considered for “unavoidable” reasons. “In general, the most important policy regarding names is local use and acceptance,” it adds.
What other bodies of water are the names of disputed?
The waters separating Iran and Saudi Arabia have been a source of tension for years. Iran wants to call it the “Persian Gulf,” while Saudi Arabia wants it to be called the “Arabian Gulf.”
The U.S. Navy uses the term “Arabian Gulf” to avoid friction with key allies, but United States Geographical Names Board Mandated the use of “Persian Gulf” for official business purposes.
There is also controversy over the names of the seas that border Japan, North Korea, South Korea, and Russia. Japan calls it the Sea of Japan, but South Korea claims it has been called the East Sea for centuries.
The waters bordering Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam – commonly known in English-speaking countries as the South China Sea – is also being discussed. Different countries propose their own sea names to emphasize their territorial claims to particular islands.
Emiliano Rodriguez Mega Contributed to the report.
