The Reason Why Encyclopaedia Britannica Refuses To Rename The Gulf Of Mexico Is Going Viral

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Lord Jesus, here we are again talking about the “Gulf of America.”

A man sits at a table with a large map labeled "Gulf of America" in the background

Roberto Schmidt / AFP via Getty Images

In case you haven’t been caught up on the shenanigans, Google Maps has made the change.

Hand holding a smartphone displaying a map of the Gulf of Mexico with a search pin labeled "Gulf of America."

Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

Apple Maps has also made the change.

Map of the Gulf of Mexico, showing major cities like Houston and New Orleans, with labeled regions such as the Sigsbee Escarpment and Campeche Bank

Apple

And now, one encyclopedia of note is not backing down. I’m, of course, talking about the Encyclopædia Britannica.

Encyclopaedia Britannica volumes lined up on a shelf, representing a vast collection of knowledge

Niall Carson – Pa Images / PA Images via Getty Images

They explained their reason why in a viral thread, saying: “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.”

Encyclopædia Britannica explains why it continues to use "Gulf of Mexico," highlighting international audience and ambiguity in U.S. authority to rename

“It has been called the ‘Gulf of Mexico’ for more than 425 years,” they continued. “But it’s important to note the distinction between international and domestic areas.”

Tweet from Encyclopaedia Britannica about the name "Gulf of Mexico" and a note on international vs. domestic areas

Then they explained what they would be doing about President Trump’s executive order to rename “Mount Denali” back to “Mount McKinley.”

Snow-capped mountains overlooking a serene lake with three swans swimming. Pine trees and autumnal foliage surround the water

Arterra / Universal Images Group via Getty Images

“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.'”

Encyclopaedia Britannica tweet about President Trump signing an order to rename Denali back to 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.’”

Tweet about Encyclopaedia Britannica updating place names after official changes, citing the 2015 'McKinley' to 'Denali' change by President Obama

So, there you have it! 425 years of history and global precedent are kind of big deal. They’ll also figure out the Mount Denali thing when/if the U.S. Board on Geographic Names renames it.

Close-up of a map highlighting the Gulf of Mexico, with parts of the United States and Mexico visible, including Texas, Florida, and Cuba

Kdow / Getty Images

Anyway, I’m sure this isn’t the last of this!

Map illustration of the Gulf of Mexico labeled as "Gulf of America?" highlighting a naming question

Caelestiss / Getty Images



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Alexandra Williams
Alexandra Williams
Alexandra Williams is a writer and editor. Angeles. She writes about politics, art, and culture for LinkDaddy News.

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