Trump's geographic shake-up: McKinley and American Gulf
The first decisions made by Donald Trump after his inauguration have been surprising. The American president ordered the change of the name of the highest peak in the USA. After ten years, Mount McKinley returned and replaced Denali. Additionally, the Gulf of Mexico has been renamed. It is now known as the American Gulf.
Donald Trump became the 45th president of the United States yesterday. The Republican has already made his first decisions, with some related to geography. The American leader has changed the names of several iconic locations on the U.S. map.
After ten years, Trump has changed the name of the highest peak in the United States. Denali has once again become Mount McKinley. The massif, which is 6,194 metres above sea level, was named in honour of Republican president William McKinley from 1896 to 2015.
On August 28, 2015, the U.S. Secretary of the Department of the Interior, Sally Jewell, restored the mountain's original name: Denali. This word comes from the term deenaalee, which, in the language of the indigenous tribes of North America, means "great." Yesterday, Trump ordered a return to its former name.
The Gulf of Mexico renamed the Gulf of America
Donald Trump took another bold step when he decided that, as of January 20, 2025, the Gulf of Mexico would no longer appear under that name on American maps. Americans must now get used to its new name: the American Gulf.
The changes to the names of North America's highest peak and the gulf located near the coasts of the USA, Mexico, and Cuba are not entirely unexpected. Donald Trump announced these changes during his election campaign, as well as prior to his inauguration.
In addition to renaming the mountain and the gulf, Trump also discussed taking control of Greenland and the Panama Canal. He mentioned this latter topic during his inaugural speech as President of the USA.
