People are cackling after the mapping company MapQuest announced it has no intentions of changing the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America"—and instead has created a "Gulf Map Generator" that allows people to troll President Donald Trump by renaming the body of water however they'd like.
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 MapQuest said it will not comply, publishing the following post on BlueSky:
"Because you TOTALLY asked for this… and MapQuest has NOTHING better to do… We’ve granted you exclusive access to a place very dear to our heart: gulfof.mapquest.com"
"Think of it as the Upside Down but more... minimalist. Pls share so we can behold your genius (or judge you, lovingly)"
You can see the company's post below.
Because you TOTALLY asked for this… and MapQuest has NOTHING better to do… We’ve granted you exclusive access to a place very dear to our heart: gulfof.mapquest.com Think of it as the Upside Down but more... minimalist. Pls share so we can behold your genius (or judge you, lovingly) 😘
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— MapQuest (@mapquest.com) February 13, 2025 at 5:53 PM
This announcement gave people immediate access to MapQuest's "Gulf Map Generator"—and they ran wild with it, giving the Gulf names like...
"Gulf of Southern Canada"...
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— Robin Westward (@robinwestward.bsky.social) February 19, 2025 at 11:25 AM
"Gulf of the Dude Abides"...
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— Daniel Redmond Wallace (@danielrwallace.bsky.social) February 19, 2025 at 10:54 AM
"Gulf of Cognitive Dissonance"...
God Bless you for this 🥰
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— Cranky Yukoner 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦 (@thunderbuck.bsky.social) February 19, 2025 at 11:15 AM
"Gulf of Ukraine"...
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— Old Hobbit✌ (@oldhobbit.bsky.social) February 19, 2025 at 11:22 AM
...and "Gulf of Jimmy Buffet."
Let’s have a party
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— Dave McNulla (@mcnulla.bsky.social) February 19, 2025 at 10:56 AM
But doesn't the "Gulf of Insecurity" seem like a very appropriate name for this debacle?
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— bd-nola.bsky.social (@bd-nola.bsky.social) February 19, 2025 at 11:18 AM
How about the "Gulf of Dystopia"?
gulfof.mapquest.com?name=Dystopia
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— Trippypea (@trippypea.bsky.social) February 19, 2025 at 10:59 AM
Or do you feel like paying a visit to the "Gulf of Misinformation"?
gulfof.mapquest.com?name=Misinfo...
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— jamsaxon.bsky.social (@jamsaxon.bsky.social) February 19, 2025 at 11:21 AM
MapQuest's move came days after Encyclopedia Britannica said it would not comply with Trump's executive order because "the Gulf of Mexico is an international body of water, and the U.S.’s authority to rename it is ambiguous."
The company, via its Twitter account, stressed that the body of water "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."
@mehcadbrooks/Threads