GOP bill would change 'Gulf of Mexico' to 'Gulf of America' in more than 50 state statutes

Yahoo

12-02-2025

Now that "Gulf of America" is the official name of the body of water to our west, a Florida state senator has filed a bill to update all "Gulf of Mexico" references in state law. There are a lot.
Two days after the former Gulf of Mexico was officially renamed the Gulf of America and President Donald Trump proclaimed Feb. 9 as Gulf of America Day, Sen. Nick DiCeglie, R-St. Petersburg, filed the 70-page SB 608 Tuesday morning to rename "Gulf of Mexico" in over 50 Florida statutes, including boundary line definitions for 11 coastal counties, revenue regulations, coastal construction and excavation restrictions, erosion control, beach management, coastal building zones, taxes for coastal protection, tidal lands titles and land acquisitions, nature preserve boundaries, marine animal regulations and all other aspects of Florida law that need to mention the Gulf.
Trump issued an executive order renaming the Gulf on his first day back in office, strongly urging the members of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to expedite it. It became official on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. Trump signed the proclamation observing "Gulf of America Day" while traveling to the Super Bowl in New Orleans on Air Force One.
The Federal Aviation Administration and Google Maps made the change by the next day. As of Tuesday morning, the National Weather Service stations in Florida were still using "Gulf of Mexico" in forecasts (although traditionally in most forecasts they just refer to the "Gulf") and Apple Maps has not made the change.
But none of that changes Florida law, hence the bill.
The change would go into effect July 1, 2025.
The Florida Legislative Session runs 60 days, starting March 4, 2025.
When then-President-elect Trump mentioned the plan out of the blue in January during a press conference in which he also talked about annexing Canada, the Panama Canal and Greenland, Florida Republicans were quick to jump on the new name.
U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, posted on social media, "Come visit our beautiful district and take a dip in the Gulf of AMERICA!" Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Naples, simply posted video from the press conference and "THE GULF OF AMERICA #MakeTheAmericasGreatAgain." Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Gainesville didn't comment, but she reposted a post from Iowa Rep. Ashley Hinson saying the name had a nice ring to it.
Within hours of Trump's executive order, Gov. Ron DeSantis became the first person to use the new name in an official capacity, when he issued his own order about the freak winter storm that blanketed North Florida in record-breaking snow and ice.
Not if they don't want to. The United States' name change has no effect on what other countries or international bodies may call it, although many countries are likely to make the change to maintain polite diplomatic relations with the U.S. or to curry favor.
More than half of Florida's coast borders the Gulf of Mexico, a partially landlocked body of water between the United States and Mexico that links ports in five Southern states and Mexico with the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean with two passages — called the Florida Straits — on either side of Cuba and the Yucatan Channel between Mexico and Cuba. The Gulf has an average depth of 5,300 feet.
The Gulf mainland shore runs more than 4,000 miles from the Florida Keys to Cabo Catoche on the Yucatán Peninsula.
Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas all share the coast, along with the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Vera Cruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo.
While existing residents obviously knew about it, the first European to find the Gulf was Sebastián de Ocampo in 1508-1509, according to the Texas State Historical Association. It remained unnamed until the early 1540s, considered part of the "North Sea" (Atlantic Ocean). One map dated 1584 called it "Mare de Nort," or "Sea of the North."
Baptiste Boazio, the illustrator and map maker of Francis Drake's Caribbean cruise of attacks in the 1580s, used "Gulf of Mexico" on his map "View of Entire Route of Sir Francis Drake's West Indian Voyage." A 1630 map called the body of water "Gulf of New Spain."
The Spanish name evolved into Seno Mexicano. "Seno" means "gulf" or "bay." It has also been called Golfo de Nueva España and Golfo de México on various maps and documents, and there are at least 32 different versions of the name in different languages and dialects, according to the United States Geological Survey.
The U.S., Mexico and Cuba share the body of water and each one controls a certain amount of the coastal waters of the Gulf.
For many years, nations had rights to and control over the water extending an average of three nautical miles from their shores and everything beyond that was considered international waters. In the 20th century, some nations asked to extend that limit to add access to mineral resources, protect fish stocks and other uses.
In 1945, President Harry S. Truman extended U.S. control of natural resources in its waters to its continental shelf and other nations did the same, with some claiming hundreds of miles of sea for themselves.
The United Nations held several conferences on the matter but it wasn't until the third UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which ran from 1973 to 1982, that they established a consensus: territorial waters would extend to 12 nautical miles from a nation's shores, with provisions for navigation, deep sea mining, protection of the environment, scientific research and more.
Currently, the U.S. federal government manages the seas and the submerged parts of the Outer Continental Shelf and has jurisdiction over economic and resource management up to 200 miles from the coast in the exclusive economic zone, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information.
Within the EEZ, the U.S. has sovereign rights to explore, exploit, conserve and manage natural resources, and jurisdiction as provided for in international law.
Mexico also has jurisdiction up to 200 miles from its coast. In 1978, the U.S. and Mexico signed a treaty defining the continental shelf boundaries, and another in 2000 allowing for agreements beyond the 200-mile limit for development of any possible oil, or natural gas reservoirs.
In 2007, Mexico asked to extend its continental shelf up to 350 nautical miles in certain areas, which would overlap some of the U.S.'s jurisdiction. The Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf accepted Mexico's arguments in 2009 but Mexico and the U.S. would need another agreement to formalize each country's claims.
(This story was updated with new information.)
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida bill would rename 'Gulf of Mexico' throughout state statutes