Florida has become the first state to officially refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America," following President Donald Trump's executive order directing federal agencies to adopt the new name.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis used the term in an emergency declaration issued on Monday ahead of a forecast winter storm.
Newsweek has contacted the office of DeSantis and the White House for comment.
Why It Matters
The name change reflects President Trump's order to create "names that honor American greatness."
In his executive order, one of several signed on his first day in office, Trump said the name change was in recognition of the Gulf's "critical importance to our nation's economy and its people."
What To Know
Governor DeSantis' emergency declaration references the "Gulf of America" while warning Floridians about the winter storm set to bring freezing rain and snow to northern parts of the state.
The wording said "an area of low pressure moving across the Gulf of America, interacting with Arctic air, will bring widespread impactful winter weather to North Florida beginning Tuesday."
President Trump's executive order tasks the secretary of the interior with updating federal records and maps to reflect the name change.
Trump announced the renaming during his inauguration, stating, "America will reclaim its rightful place as the greatest, most powerful, most respected nation on earth, inspiring the awe and admiration of the entire world." He then announced the planned renaming.
Florida's adoption of the term precedes any legislative action by Congress or the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, which would be required to formalize the change in law.
The executive order also reinstates the name "Mount McKinley" to the tallest mountain in North America, reversing a 2015 Obama administration decision to federally recognize the mountain as Denali, the name used by the Koyukon Alaska Native people.
What People Are Saying
President Trump during his Monday inauguration speech: "A short time from now, we are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America."
Governor DeSantis in the emergency declaration: "An area of low pressure moving across the Gulf of America, interacting with Arctic air, will bring widespread impactful winter weather to North Florida."
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, at Trump's inauguration, laughed when Trump announced the name change.
What Happens Next
Federal agencies have 30 days to begin updating documents and maps to reflect the new name as directed by Trump's executive order.
Legislative action may follow to formalize the change in U.S. law.
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