Renaming Gulf of Mexico and Denali | 22 Jan 2025
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America and revert Denali to Mount McKinley, to honor American greatness.
- Governance on Naming: International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) (US and Mexico are members), ensures uniformity but allows domestic alternative names, with no formal renaming protocol.
- Mexico and Cuba aren't bound to the new name, and international agreements still use the Gulf of Mexico.
- Gulf of Mexico: It is the world’s largest gulf, bordered by Cuba, Mexico, and the US, connects to the Atlantic via the Straits of Florida and to the Caribbean via the Yucatán Channel.
- The Gulf of Mexico supplies 14% of US crude oil, 5% of natural gas, and hosts 48% of the US petroleum refining capacity and 51% of the natural gas processing capacity.
Mount McKinley: Mount McKinley, the highest peak in North America, is located in Alaska and was renamed Denali in 2015 to honor the indigenous Koyukon people.
- Reverting to Mount McKinley honors President William McKinley (1897-1901) for his leadership in the Spanish-American War and US economic growth.
- Similar Global Disputes: The "Persian Gulf" vs. "Arabian Gulf" between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the "Sea of Japan" vs. "East Sea" between Japan and South Korea, and territorial naming disputes in the South China Sea.
Read more: India-US Relations