Florida has become the first state to officially rename the Gulf of Mexico, now calling it the “Gulf of America,” following President Donald Trump’s executive order on Monday, which instructs federal agencies to adopt the new designation.

While issuing an emergency declaration ahead of an impending winter storm expected to impact the northern part of Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis referred to the body of water by its new name. He mentioned that “an area of low pressure moving across the Gulf of America” would combine with Arctic air, bringing freezing rain and snow to the region, as reported by Newsweek on Tuesday.

Trump’s executive order mandates that the new name be used in federal communications and official maps, with the incoming Secretary of the Interior overseeing the change. Trump has nominated North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum for the position.

The renaming of the gulf was revealed during Trump’s inauguration speech on Monday. “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 declared.

The executive order also reinstates the use of the name Mount McKinley for Alaska’s highest peak, reversing a 2015 decision by the Obama administration, which had renamed it Denali, the term used by the Koyukon Alaska Native people.

Federal agencies have been given 30 days to begin updating their documents and maps to reflect the new name of the Gulf, although further legislative steps may be taken to formalize the change in U.S. law.

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, introduced a bill this month to officially rename the gulf. She explained on X, “The American people are footing the bill to protect and secure the maritime waterways for commerce to be conducted. Our U.S. armed forces protect the area from any military threats from foreign countries.”

{Matzav.com}