The U.S. Department of the Interior has begun implementing President Donald Trump’s directives to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” and Mount Denali as “Mount McKinley.”
These changes were announced by the Interior Department, following an executive order from President Trump aimed at honoring American heritage and greatness.
What they’re saying: The Interior Department said in an announcement that changing the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America is of central importance.
- The Gulf of America, formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico, is one of the most vital assets in the Nation’s history and economy. Spanning over 1,700 miles of U.S. coastline and encompassing nearly 160 million acres, the Gulf has been a critical artery for America’s trade, energy production, and maritime industries.
- The Interior Department emphasizes the Gulf of America’s contributions to the nation’s economy, with its vast resources of oil and natural gas, rich fisheries, and expansive coastlines playing a pivotal role in America’s development.
- The renaming of Denali as Mount McKinley is a tribute to former President William McKinley, recognizing his legacy and leadership during the Spanish-American War and his contributions to the country’s economic growth.
- “In 1917, the country officially honored President McKinley through the naming of North America’s highest peak,” the department said in a statement. “Yet after nearly a century, President Obama’s administration, in 2015, stripped the McKinley name from federal nomenclature, an affront to President McKinley’s life, his achievements, and his sacrifice. The decision to return the peak to its historical name is a meaningful recognition of President McKinley’s enduring legacy.”