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 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.
If passed, when would Florida statutes recognize ‘Gulf of America’?
The change would go into effect July 1, 2025.
When does the Florida Legislative Session for 2025 begin?
The Florida Legislative Session runs 60 days, starting March 4, 2025.
Florida GOP embraces Gulf of America
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.
What is the Gulf of Mexico?
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.
Who named it the Gulf of Mexico?
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
.
Who owns the Gulf of Mexico?
