Encyclopedia Britannica was praised after it explained on Twitter its reasoning for sticking with the Gulf of Mexico instead of going along with President Donald Trump's executive order renaming it the "Gulf of America."
On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order changing the "Gulf of Mexico" to the "Gulf of America." The order also reversed an Obama-era decision and changed the name of the Alaskan mountain "Denali" back to "Mount McKinley."
Typically, changing a geographic name involves a lengthy process, taking at least six months as the U.S. Board on Geographic Names consults with states, tribes, mapmakers, and other stakeholders. However, Trump’s order called for the change to take effect within just 30 days.
Last week, Google updated the location’s name following Trump’s order to change it in official government records. The tech giant also appears to have removed some negative reviews that surfaced after the name change. Apple Maps has made the switch as well.
But the famed encyclopedia explained why it won't comply:
"Encyclopædia Britannica will continue to use ‘Gulf of Mexico’ for a few reasons: We serve an international audience, a majority of which is outside the U.S. The Gulf of Mexico is an international body of water, and the U.S.’s authority to rename it is ambiguous."
"It has been called the ‘Gulf of Mexico’ for more than 425 years. But it’s important to note the distinction between international and domestic areas."
It also addressed Trump's decision to change "Denali" back to "Mount McKinley":
"President Trump has also signed an executive order to change the name of the Alaskan mountain called ‘Denali’ back to its former name, ‘Mount McKinley.’ When that change is made official by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, we will also make that change. Just as we did in 2015 when President Barack Obama changed the name of 'McKinley' to ‘Denali.’"
To underscore its point, the encyclopedia included an image of a map from its first-ever edition, originally published in 1768.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Many applauded its move.
The White House is so insistent that their arbitrary name change be honored, they have taken to retaliating against the press over it.
Last week, the Trump administration said The Associated Press would be banned from the Oval Office and Air Force One indefinitely. Julie Pace, the executive editor of the AP, stated that the exclusion was due to the outlet’s refusal to adopt Trump’s newly mandated name for the Gulf of Mexico, instead continuing to use its original designation.
Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich defended the White House, saying the AP’s decision “is not just divisive, but it also exposes the Associated Press’ commitment to misinformation.”
Of the organization, Budowich said that "while their right to irresponsible and dishonest reporting is protected by the First Amendment, it does not ensure their privilege of unfettered access to limited spaces, like the Oval Office and Air Force One."
The AP emphasized its role as a global news agency that delivers information to an international audience, requiring it to use widely recognized geographic names.
The agency noted that, in some instances, it refers to locations by multiple names. For example, while the U.S. identifies the body of water east of Baja California as the Gulf of California, Mexico refers to it as the Sea of Cortez.
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