The “Gulf of America” Is a Geographical Absurdity

President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order renaming the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge after Jocelyn Nungaray, a Houston girl whose tragic murder at the hands of two unauthorized Venezuelan immigrants, captured national attention. The decision, while framed as an honor to the young victim, raised eyebrows. It marked yet another instance in which Trump leveraged symbolic renaming as a political tool. Previously, in a move that defied geography, diplomacy, and common sense, President Donald Trump signed an executive order renaming a section of the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.” 

But what exactly has been renamed? The order, directed at U.S. federal agencies, instructed them to use the new name when referring to the waters adjacent to Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, extending to the maritime borders with Mexico and Cuba. While it was clearly intended as a symbolic assertion of American sovereignty, the renaming not only violated international conventions but also flew in the face of basic geographical principles.

A gulf, by definition, is a large body of water partially enclosed by land on three sides, leaving only a narrow entrance to the open sea. The Gulf of Mexico is precisely that—its northern boundary formed by the United States, its western side bordered by Mexico, and its southeastern portion touching Cuba. To isolate just the northern segment of this expanse and declare it a separate entity is as nonsensical as attempting to designate the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean as a “sea” simply because it borders the United States. The body of water he attempted to rename does not meet the fundamental criteria of a gulf. In other words, to be a gulf requires enclosure by land on three sides. It remains part of an uninterrupted maritime basin, and political borders do not alter its geological structure.

The absurdity deepens when one considers the executive order’s attempt to redefine only the portion of the Gulf bordering the United States, while the remaining waters continue to be called the Gulf of Mexico. The name change did not come with any geological shift, nor was there an event that would justify a new designation. It was, in effect, an attempt to assign a new identity to an inseparable part of an established whole. Nature, however, does not conform to administrative whims.

This renaming effort is not just an act of political overreach but also a glaring reflection of the shortcomings in the American education system, particularly in geography. That such a decision could emerge from the highest levels of government suggests a fundamental misunderstanding of geographical principles. The lack of emphasis on global geography in American curricula has led to a population that often struggles to grasp even basic geographical concepts, making it easier for such misleading and arbitrary renaming efforts to be accepted by a segment of the public. If education had provided a stronger foundation in geographic literacy, such a proposal would have been dismissed outright as a nonsensical fabrication. The failure of the education system in this regard is evident in the broader lack of awareness of international geography, history, and geopolitical nuances, leaving many susceptible to simplistic narratives that distort reality.

Renaming a major body of water requires an extensive international process, typically involving consultations with neighboring nations and recognition from global geographical and hydrographic authorities. The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN) and the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) oversee such changes, ensuring that geographical nomenclature reflects a consensus rather than unilateral political decrees. 

The renaming of the Gulf of Mexico, however, did not follow any of these procedures. It was an act of political branding rather than a legitimate geographical revision, one that was met with immediate resistance from Mexico and other international bodies. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum swiftly rejected the move, asserting that the Gulf of Mexico remains what it has always been—a shared maritime space recognized globally for centuries.

Despite its official declaration within U.S. agencies, the new name failed to gain traction outside of government mandates. The Associated Press continued to use “Gulf of Mexico” in its reporting, leading to friction with the White House. Google Maps and Apple Maps, under pressure from U.S. government sources, initially included the designation “Gulf of America” on some of their platforms, but users outside of the United States continued to see the original name. 

In some locations, they used both names, labeling it as “Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America).” This led to a bizarre mapping inconsistency where the same body of water appeared under different names depending on one’s geographical location. Mexico even threatened legal action against Google for complying with the name change within the U.S. market. These companies also failed to recognize that Trump’s executive order only renamed the portion of the basin adjacent to the U.S., which does not meet the criteria for a gulf.

The intended audience for this renaming effort was clear: a segment of the population that is either uninformed about geography or blinded by patriotic fervor. It was a blatant attempt to manufacture a superficial victory, pandering to nationalistic sentiment without offering any real or tangible achievements. This is cheap patriotism, an illusion of strength rather than an actual step toward making America great again. True national greatness is built on meaningful progress, economic prosperity, and global leadership, not on renaming a body of water to fit a political narrative. The American people deserve accomplishments of substance, not symbolic gestures designed to create an illusion of power.

Trump doubled down on this issue by declaring February 9, 2025, as “Gulf of America Day.” In his proclamation, he stated: 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim February 9, 2025, as Gulf of America Day. I call upon public officials and all the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

But what exactly are we celebrating? A lack of education? A false achievement? This declaration does nothing but turn the United States into a laughingstock on the world stage. Instead of pursuing real advancements and accomplishments, the country is being distracted by symbolic, meaningless gestures that offer no tangible benefits to its people. What is this, a strategy for the next four years? Feed national pride without delivering promising results? If Trump is serious in his renaming effort, he should follow a proper procedure for updating international geographical entities to make them legitimate and recognizable worldwide. Otherwise, it will be a temporary solution as long as Trump remains in power.

I am very bothered by the trend. This is a dangerous precedent where grandstanding takes precedence over substantive progress.

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