US President Donald Trump officially renamed the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” on Sunday and declared February 9 as “Gulf of America Day” through an executive order.
The move, part of executive order 14172 titled “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness,” directs the US secretary of the interior to formalise the name change within 30 days.
According to the White House, Trump’s executive order specifies that the renamed Gulf includes the “US Continental Shelf area bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the State of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, extending to the seaward boundary with Mexico and Cuba.”
“I took this action in part because, as stated in that order, ‘the area formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico has long been an integral asset to our once burgeoning Nation and has remained an indelible part of America,’” Trump stated in his proclamation, as per the White House.
As he travelled aboard Air Force One from Palm Beach, Florida, to New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX, the president flew over the Gulf and emphasised the significance of the renaming.
“As my administration restores American pride in the history of American greatness, it is fitting and appropriate for our great Nation to come together and commemorate this momentous occasion and the renaming of the Gulf of America,” Trump said, per Fox5 DC.
Under the order, the US Coast Guard has already begun using the name “Gulf of America,” and secretary of the interior Doug Burgum has 30 days to complete the official transition. Trump’s proclamation also calls for public officials and citizens to observe Gulf of America Day with “appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.”
The body of water now known as the Gulf of America was historically referred to as the “Mexican Bay” (Seno Mexicano) until the early 19th century. The current name, “Gulf of Mexico,” originated from Spanish explorers who named the region based on Mexico’s extensive coastline, according to historical records.
The renaming comes at a time of heightened tensions between the Trump administration and Mexico. Trump recently threatened 25% tariffs on Mexican imports, later pausing the move after Mexico agreed to deploy 10,000 National Guard troops to the border.