SPRINGFIELD, Virginia – The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency implemented the presidentially-directed name change from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America in the U.S. Geographic Names Server, the official federal repository for foreign geographic names.

This change is in accordance with President Donald J. Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order, “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness.” 

The area formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico has long been an integral asset to the nation and has remained an indelible part of the U.S. economy, with water spanning over 1,700 miles and containing nearly 160 million acres. The gulf will continue to play a pivotal role in shaping the nation’s future and the global economy. 

The GNS is the official repository of standard spellings of all foreign geographic names, sanctioned by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. The GNS can be used for finding places, geospatial information system data, cartography, and geospatial intelligence products. The geographic names in the GNS are provided for the guidance of and use by the federal government and for the information of the public. 

This change accompanies the Department of Interior’s update to the Geographic Names Information System, which is the official federal repository for all U.S. domestic geographic names for federal use. 

For more information on the GNS, visit: https://geonames.nga.mil/.