The Gulf of Mexico Still Remains on Apple Maps
In a recent move, President Trump issued an executive order that proposes renaming various geographic features, including the Gulf of Mexico. Nevertheless, Apple Maps continues to display the original designation. Let’s delve into why this is a more complex issue than it may seem.
Maps are intriguing constructs. For centuries, we relied on maps like the one created in 1569 which depicted North America and Europe disproportionately large compared to their actual size. This historical reference illustrates that cartography isn’t straightforward; altering the established maps can be a challenging process requiring considerable time and resources.
When President Trump reinstated his focus on renaming landmarks through an executive order, it’s important to recognize that implementation is not as straightforward as one might assume. Even if the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) decides to adopt “Gulf of America,” its influence only extends within federal contexts.
Executive orders primarily apply to federal or state agencies and cannot enforce changes upon private companies like Apple or Google regarding their mapping services.
It was surprising when Texas Representative Dan Crenshaw expressed his thoughts on X platform without fully understanding these nuances.
While BGN can guide federal entities in recognizing this new name, globally there exists a substantial chance that other nations will continue referring to this body of water as the Gulf of Mexico. The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEN) collaborates with various member nations for standardization purposes, making it improbable for widespread acceptance of such an unnecessary change.
Apple and Google operate globally and provide mapping services based upon a mix of proprietary data alongside public resources which help them accurately label geographic structures for users worldwide.
The term ‘Gulf of Mexico’ has been in use for over four centuries; its origins trace back to Aztec culture when these lands were populated by indigenous peoples prior to colonization by outside forces.
Authoritarian regimes in other countries have attempted similar pressures against major companies concerning name alterations—like Russia’s claims over Ukrainian territories or China’s stance regarding Taiwan’s sovereignty—as they combat language establishment methods via map standardization.
An essential element in cartography remains ensuring comprehensive global comprehension among those reading maps; thus even non-English speaking nations often utilize entirely different names from standardized ones shown—Japan is referred colloquially as Nihon while Germany is known as Deutschland.
Perchance this executive act may result in domestic paper maps reflecting “Gulf of America,” yet international communities—including U.S combatants adhering strictly focused International naming protocols—will persistently acknowledge it simply by its historic identifier: “Gulf Of Mexico.”
If Representative Crenshaw finds himself aggrieved over current nomenclatural discrepancies perhaps directing concern towards BGN could yield more fruitful outcomes given they too list “Gulf Of Mexico.” Awaiting Apple’s alteration driven solely from unilateral demand appears rather remote at present moment considering firm adherence around wider conventions followed presently.
