Summary
Google Maps will rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” for U.S. users following a U.S. government decision.
The U.S. Department of Interior recently announced the official name change, implemented by the Board on Geographic Names.
Google stated it updates names based on official government sources.
The name will remain “Gulf of Mexico” in Mexico and display both names elsewhere globally.
This change stems from an executive order by Trump, who also reversed the 2015 renaming of Alaska’s Denali to Mount McKinley.
Well google maps can fuck right off, the cowards. What are everyone’s recommendations for alternatives?
Depends.
If you just want a map to find things, OsmAnd is good.
If you want to prepare hiking/biking trail maps and then download them for offline use, Alpi Maps is really nice.
If you want useful navigation that includes traffic data and gets the realistic arrival time close to correct, Magic Earth is really the only option (traffic time estimates depend on users agreeing to share their location data while using ME for navigation so that it can make traffic speed assessments - quality will depend on how many other ME users in your area have agreed to share their data).
All 3 ultimately depend on OpenStreetMap for their map data. If you use them, consider creating an account and contributing with a tool like StreetComplete.
If you want something that has locations of businesses &etc with accurate names, operating hours, contact information, pictures of the location, street view, user reviews… there are no alternatives.
OSM will rename the Gulf Of Mexico eventually as well, by policy. See towards the end of this long discussion thread: https://community.openstreetmap.org/t/gulf-of-america-gulf-of-mexico/124571/73
It’s just… No. I’ve used osmand for years and it’s the absolute worst. The interface is way too complicated to use and the search is absolutely useless. I can only use it for offline maps while hiking to see where I am.
Sundar really likes kissing the ring
It’s pretty difficult to kiss the ring when it’s all the way down on the base of the penis. It must be tough on him.
Kind of expected, Google maps show you a different version depending of where you are, aligning with your government position.
Well, if that’s how it works, every country now needs to renames the US to something else on their maps. Whoever has the best name wins something - like, the Olympics or free membership to the UN.
Suggestions now open, I’ll start: “Little Girls Blouse”
United States of Oligarchs
That’s a bit boring though. Maybe they could put out a call for sponsors every week, the winner gets to name it. We’d get names like:
- United States of Amazon
- X
- Murica
- iMerica (designed by Apple in California, assembled in China)
Which should drive home the point.
Would also help government funding.
IMO it should be called the Chicxulub Gulf, since the most significant thing to happen there, objectively speaking, was the end of the Cretaceous.
