Trump administration says 'Gulf of America' name change is now official

The Gulf of Mexico has officially been renamed.

Earlier this week, President Trump announced his plans to have the Gulf of Mexico's name changed to the Gulf of America.

In the executive order, the Gulf (which is the largest in the world) was described as 'an integral asset to our once burgeoning Nation and has remained an indelible part of America', as well as 'a crucial artery for America’s early trade and global commerce'.

The change proposal was met with criticism — notably by Mexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, in particular.

Speaking on Tuesday (January 21), Sheinbaum said: "[Trump] says that he will call it the 'Gulf of America' on its continental shelf. For us it is still the Gulf of Mexico and for the entire world it is still the Gulf of Mexico."

She added: "Regarding the decrees that President Donald Trump signed yesterday, I would like to say the following: The people of Mexico can be sure that we will always defend our sovereignty and our independence."

And the Trump Administration has wasted no time in implementing its suggested name change, with the country's Department of the Interior announcing yesterday that 'name restorations' are underway and that the Gulf of Mexico is now the Gulf of America.

The Gulf of Mexico has officially been renamed in the US (Getty Stock Images)

"In accordance with President Donald J. Trump’s recent executive order, the Department of the Interior is proud to announce the implementation of name restorations that honor the legacy of American greatness, with efforts already underway," the statement began.

Addressing Alaskan peak Denali being also renamed, the statement continued: "As directed by the President, the Gulf of Mexico will now officially be known as the Gulf of America and North America’s highest peak will once again bear the name Mount McKinley. These changes reaffirm the Nation’s commitment to preserving the extraordinary heritage of the United States and ensuring that future generations of Americans celebrate the legacy of its heroes and historic assets.

"The U.S. Board on Geographic Names, under the purview of the Department of the Interior, is working expeditiously to update the official federal nomenclature in the Geographic Names Information System to reflect these changes, effective immediately for federal use."

The controversial order was signed by Trump on his first day in office (Melina Mara-Pool/Getty Images)

While America will now know it as the Gulf of America, the same can't be said about the rest of the world.

For example, according to The Independent, the UK will continue to know it as the Gulf of Mexico and will not amend maps to have to read otherwise.

Maps will only be amended if Gulf of America becomes the most commonly used name for the ocean basin – something that isn't expected to happen.

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