Apple is renaming the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America on its Maps app on the heels of a similar update from Google.
The change follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump last month that mandated the name change.
To start, Apple and Google have said the adjustments to their respective mapping services will only apply in the US, though Apple says it plans to expand the update globally soon. Users in Mexico and the rest of the world are currently still seeing the Gulf of Mexico.
Indeed, the renaming is primarily recognised in the US, with the body of water still officially referred to as the Gulf of Mexico internationally.
The UK, meanwhile, has said that it will continue to use the traditional name unless the new designation gains widespread acceptance in English-speaking countries.
British officials reportedly said a single country cannot unilaterally change a geographic name universally and that the new name is unlikely to become commonly used in the near future, if at all.
A vast expanse that stretches over 600,000 square miles, the Gulf of Mexico is one of the world's largest and most significant bodies of water.
Bordered by the United States to the north, Mexico to the west and south, and Cuba to the south-east, it serves as a crucial source of energy and trade.
For the US, the Gulf of Mexico is an economic powerhouse, hosting major shipping routes and offshore oil drilling operations that supply a substantial portion of the country’s energy needs.
Meanwhile, for Mexico, it is a lifeline for coastal communities, sustaining fisheries, tourism, and trade.
After Mr Trump enforced the change, and Google adopted it, Republicans have been urging Apple to follow suit.
In a post on X directed at Apple CEO Tim Cook, representative Dan Crenshaw said: “just noticed Apple Maps still calls it the Gulf of Mexico. Sent a report through the app, but thought you’d want to know."
On Tuesday, US Representative Greg Steube publicly chided Apple for not taking action, writing on Facebook that Apple is “still lost at sea”.
Apple’s Tim Cook was among several big tech leaders who donated to Trump’s inauguration, along with Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos.
