Can Trump rename Gulf of Mexico to ‘Gulf of America’?

Why in the NEWS?

US President-elect Donald Trump said he would rename the Gulf of Mexico to "America's Gulf".

Key Points:

• The statement came after other hostile statements by Trump, in which he threatened to take control of Greenland and the Panama Canal and called Canada the "51st state" of the United States.
• Trump's statement was part of his tough stance on the issues of trade deficit and illegal immigration from Mexico. He said,
  • "We help Mexico a lot, they're run by cartels... We do most of the work there, and it's ours." 
• Trump said the Gulf of Mexico would be renamed "America's Gulf" because the name is beautiful and it sounds appropriate.
• Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum responded by saying North America should be renamed "Mexican America", which was the name of the continent on some 17th-century maps.
• Sheinbaum quipped, "Mexican America, which sounds nice."

Origin of the name "America":

• Columbus and Vespucci: 
  • In 1492, Christopher Columbus discovered America, but he did not know that he had arrived on a different continent. 
  • Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci then wrote about the existence of the "New World". 
  • Vespucci's letters were seen by German scholar Matthias Ringmann and together with Martin Waldseemüller, he prepared a map. 
  • The name "America" ​​was inspired by Vespucci's first name.
• Map of 1507: 
  • This map used the word "America" ​​for the first time and depicted it as a separate continent. This map symbolized a significant leap in knowledge.

Origin of the name "Mexico":

• Aztec civilization: 
  • The word "Mexico" originates from the Nahuatl language spoken by the Aztecs. 
  • The word is made up of "metztli" (moon), "xictli" (centre) and "-co" (place). 
  • This refers to the old city of Tenochtitlan, which was located on Lake Texcoco, formerly called Moon Lake.
• Official name of Mexico: 
  • In 1824, Mexico was officially renamed the "United Mexican States", inspired by the USA.

Naming of the Gulf of Mexico:

• History of the name: 
  • Spanish explorers first used the name Gulf of Mexico in the 16th century. A map from 1607 shows the gulf in it.
• Geopolitical significance: 
  • The Gulf of Mexico is important to the US for its energy resources. 
  • It is an important source of offshore oil and natural gas production.

Can Trump change the name?

• International consent required: 
  • According to the Associated Press, the decision to rename the gulf cannot be unilateral. 
  • The change will require the consent of other countries, especially Mexico.
• International Hydrographic Organization (IHO): 
  • This organization is responsible for surveying and charting all the seas, oceans and water bodies of the world. 
  • Naming is not possible without consensus among its member countries.
• Example of South China Sea: 
  • Many countries have territorial disputes over the South China Sea, but there is no dispute over the Gulf of Mexico.
• Statement by John Nyberg: 
  • IHO director John Nyberg said that there is no formal international agreement or protocol for naming marine areas, but consensus among countries is required.

Context of Trump's statement:

• Trump's statement is being considered as part of his criticisms against Mexico, and can be seen from a political perspective. 
• He made this statement in the context of issues of trade deficit and illegal immigration.
• However, such a unilateral decision is unlikely to bring any real change as it cannot be implemented without consensus at the international level.