US President Donald Trump, in his inauguration speech on January 20, said his administration is planning to name the "Gulf of Mexico" to the "Gulf of America". He also said the plan includes changing the name of the North America's highest peak, Denali, to Mount McKinley.&nbsp;
Google has now said that it will show the name of both places as "Gulf of America" and "Mount McKinley" if and when the Trump administration makes the plan official.&nbsp;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mexico-to-write-to-google-for-changing-gulf-of-mexico-to-gulf-of-america-on-its-maps-8669763">Mexico to write to Google for changing Gulf of Mexico to 'Gulf of America' on its maps</a>
In a post on the social media platform X Monday (Jan 27), Google said applying name changes, when it becomes official in government records, has been a "longstanding practice" by the organisation. It was referring to the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
"When that happens, we will update Google Maps in the US quickly to show Mount McKinley and Gulf of America," the post said.&nbsp;
<h2>When will it happen?&nbsp;</h2>
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-maps-to-rename-gulf-of-mexico-as-gulf-of-america-for-us-users-8662129">Google Maps to rename Gulf of Mexico as &lsquo;Gulf of America&rsquo; for US users</a>
Donald Trump's administration said on January 24 that it has already renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Trump signed multiple executive orders on his first day in the White House, including one to rename the Alaskan Mountain.
The US Department has said the process of implementing the new names is in continuation - but the official maps of the locations by the government are not done yet.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-officially-renames-gulf-of-mexico-to-gulf-of-america-in-us-will-it-catch-on-internationally-8652331">Trump officially renames Gulf of Mexico to 'Gulf of America' in US: Will it catch on internationally?</a>
Google said as soon as the government changes the name officially, the new names will be updated.&nbsp;
<h2>Will names change for everyone?&nbsp;</h2>
In its statement, Google added that "when official names vary between countries, Maps users see their official local name. Everyone in the rest of the world sees both names. That applies here, too."
This means that people in the United States will see the name "Gulf of America" while those in Mexico will see "Gulf of Mexico."&nbsp;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-trump-inauguration-trump-20-gulf-of-mexico-gofo-of-america-8642297">Explained: Trump wants to rename Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America. Can he do that?</a>
Google users in the rest of the world will see both names while using Google Maps, but one name will be in a bracket. Although Google has not commented on the order of names, a report by The New York Times said while quoting sources that "Gulf of Mexico" would come first.&nbsp;
<h3>How Google deals with disputed locations?&nbsp;</h3>
Around 1 million people across the world use Google Maps and it is the world's most-used navigation and mapping app.&nbsp;
As per Google's statement, when an area is in a dispute over the name, it shows the name based on the user's location.&nbsp;
In a similar case, there is a body of water known as a gulf between Iran and Saudi Arabia. It is known as the Persian Gulf or Arabian Gulf.&nbsp; In 2012, Iran threatened Google, "If Google does not correct its mistake as soon as possible, we will file an official complaint against Google." This was after Google did not name the body of water on its map.&nbsp;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-hillary-clinton-laughs-as-trump-says-gulf-of-mexico-will-be-renamed-during-inaugural-speech-8640118">Watch: Hillary Clinton laughs as Trump says Gulf of Mexico will be renamed during inaugural speech</a>
That time Google rejected the allegations, saying it had never labelled the body of water. Now, it displays both names based on the location of the user.&nbsp;
When it comes to border disputes, Google says, "Undisputed international boundaries, like the one between the United States and Canada, are shown as a solid grey line. Treaty and provisional boundaries, which are temporary, are displayed as a dashed grey line."&nbsp;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-republican-marjorie-green-promises-to-introduce-bill-renaming-gulf-of-mexico-to-gulf-of-america-asap-8601255">US Republican Marjorie Green promises to introduce bill renaming Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America 'ASAP'</a>
(With inputs from agencies)

World | The US Department has said the process of implementing the new names is in continuation - but the official maps of the locations by the government are not done yet. 

US President Donald Trump, in his inauguration speech on January 20, said his administration is planning to name the "Gulf of Mexico" to the "Gulf of America". He also said the plan includes changing the name of the North America's highest peak, Denali, to Mount McKinley. Google has now said that it will show the name of both places as "Gulf of America" and "Mount McKinley" if and when the Trump administration makes the plan official. Also read: Mexico to write to Google for changing Gulf of Mexico to 'Gulf of America' on its maps In a post on the social media platform X Monday (Jan 27), Google said applying name changes, when it becomes official in government records, has been a "longstanding practice" by the organisation. It was referring to the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). "When that happens, we will update Google Maps in the US quickly to show Mount McKinley and Gulf of America," the post said. When will it happen? Also read: Google Maps to rename Gulf of Mexico as ‘Gulf of America’ for US users Donald Trump's administration said on January 24 that it has already renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Trump signed multiple executive orders on his first day in the White House, including one to rename the Alaskan Mountain. The US Department has said the process of implementing the new names is in continuation - but the official maps of the locations by the government are not done yet. Also read: Trump officially renames Gulf of Mexico to 'Gulf of America' in US: Will it catch on internationally? Google said as soon as the government changes the name officially, the new names will be updated. Will names change for everyone? In its statement, Google added that "when official names vary between countries, Maps users see their official local name. Everyone in the rest of the world sees both names. That applies here, too." This means that people in the United States will see the name "Gulf of America" while those in Mexico will see "Gulf of Mexico." Also read: Explained: Trump wants to rename Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America. Can he do that? Google users in the rest of the world will see both names while using Google Maps, but one name will be in a bracket. Although Google has not commented on the order of names, a report by The New York Times said while quoting sources that "Gulf of Mexico" would come first. How Google deals with disputed locations? Around 1 million people across the world use Google Maps and it is the world's most-used navigation and mapping app. As per Google's statement, when an area is in a dispute over the name, it shows the name based on the user's location. In a similar case, there is a body of water known as a gulf between Iran and Saudi Arabia. It is known as the Persian Gulf or Arabian Gulf. In 2012, Iran threatened Google, "If Google does not correct its mistake as soon as possible, we will file an official complaint against Google." This was after Google did not name the body of water on its map. Also read: Watch: Hillary Clinton laughs as Trump says Gulf of Mexico will be renamed during inaugural speech That time Google rejected the allegations, saying it had never labelled the body of water. Now, it displays both names based on the location of the user. When it comes to border disputes, Google says, "Undisputed international boundaries, like the one between the United States and Canada, are shown as a solid grey line. Treaty and provisional boundaries, which are temporary, are displayed as a dashed grey line." Also read: US Republican Marjorie Green promises to introduce bill renaming Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America 'ASAP' (With inputs from agencies)

'Gulf of America' or 'Gulf of Mexico': How Google deals with controversial geography

Google Maps has unveiled a suite of innovative features tailored for India, leveraging artificial intelligence and local collaborations to enhance journey efficiency and sustainability. These advancements are designed to address India's unique transportation challenges, including navigation through narrow streets and flyovers, locating electric vehicle charging stations, and facilitating metro ticket purchases through partnerships with ONDC and Namma Yatri.

&nbsp;

Miriam Daniel, Vice President and General Manager of Google Maps, emphasized the company's ongoing commitment to improving the Maps experience, particularly in India. She highlighted the use of advanced AI and geospatial technologies to tackle complex real-world issues, with many solutions being developed specifically for the Indian market. These include an AI-driven approach for managing narrow roads and flyovers, features to support sustainable travel with EV charging information, and empowering a vast community of map contributors to provide real-time updates on road conditions.

&nbsp;

To assist four-wheeler drivers in navigating narrow or congested roads, Google has introduced a new feature that aims to minimize the use of such routes. This system employs a sophisticated AI model tailored for Indian roads, which analyzes various data points including satellite imagery, Street View information, road types, and building layouts to estimate road widths accurately. The routing algorithms have been refined to guide four-wheelers away from narrow roads when possible, without significantly impacting travel times or distances. This enhancement not only reduces stress for drivers but also benefits other road users such as cyclists and pedestrians by improving safety on narrow streets.

&nbsp;

In cases where narrow roads cannot be avoided, Google Maps now provides clear notifications on its Directions and Navigation interfaces, alerting users to narrow sections along their route. This allows drivers to proceed with caution or consider alternative paths. The feature is being rolled out initially on Android devices in eight Indian cities: Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Coimbatore, Indore, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, and Guwahati, with plans to expand to iOS and additional cities in the future.

&nbsp;

Recognising the prevalence of flyovers in many Indian cities, Google Maps is introducing a feature to highlight flyovers along recommended routes. This helps users anticipate upcoming elevated roads and prepare accordingly, whether they need to access the flyover or remain on the service road below. This feature is being launched in 40 cities across India for both four-wheeler and two-wheeler navigation on Android apps and Android Auto, with support for iOS and CarPlay coming soon.

&nbsp;

Google plans to make these narrow road and flyover features available to developers through the Google Maps Platform Routes API, enabling integration into third-party apps and services to further enhance location-based experiences in India.

&nbsp;

To support the growing adoption of electric vehicles, Google is introducing detailed information about EV charging stations on both Google Maps and Google Search in India. Through partnerships with leading EV charging providers such as ElectricPe, Ather, Kazam, and Statiq, Google has added comprehensive data for over 8,000 charging stations across the country. Users can now access information on plug types (including those for two-wheelers), real-time availability, and filter results by specific charger types. Notably, this marks the global debut of two-wheeler EV charging station information on Google Maps, with India being the first country to receive this feature.

&nbsp;

In collaboration with ONDC and Namma Yatri, Google Maps is launching a metro ticket booking experience in Kochi and Chennai. This integration allows users to purchase metro tickets directly through Google Maps when searching for public transport directions in these cities, streamlining the journey planning process and eliminating the need to queue at stations.

&nbsp;

Google Maps is also enhancing its incident reporting feature, making it easier for users to share information about road conditions, construction, or traffic incidents. The simplified process allows users to report issues with just a few taps, and even confirm reports from other users, increasing the reliability of crowd-sourced information. This update is available across all platforms - Android, iOS, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay.

&nbsp;

To enhance trip planning and exploration, Google Maps is improving its list creation and sharing capabilities. Users can now collaborate on lists of favourite places, share recommendations, and vote on destinations using emojis. Additionally, Google has partnered with local experts like NDTV Food and MagicPin to curate lists for ten major Indian cities and tourist spots, offering insider tips on the best places to eat, drink, and explore.

&nbsp;

These new features and partnerships demonstrate Google's commitment to tailoring its Maps service to the unique needs of the Indian market, leveraging AI and local expertise to provide more efficient, sustainable, and enjoyable navigation experiences for users across the country.

Google Maps has unveiled a suite of innovative features tailored for India, leveraging artificial intelligence and local collaborations to enhance journey efficiency and sustainability.

Google Maps has unveiled a suite of innovative features tailored for India, leveraging artificial intelligence and local collaborations to enhance journey efficiency and sustainability. These advancements are designed to address India's unique transportation challenges, including navigation through narrow streets and flyovers, locating electric vehicle charging stations, and facilitating metro ticket purchases through partnerships with ONDC and Namma Yatri. Miriam Daniel, Vice President and General Manager of Google Maps, emphasized the company's ongoing commitment to improving the Maps experience, particularly in India. She highlighted the use of advanced AI and geospatial technologies to tackle complex real-world issues, with many solutions being developed specifically for the Indian market. These include an AI-driven approach for managing narrow roads and flyovers, features to support sustainable travel with EV charging information, and empowering a vast community of map contributors to provide real-time updates on road conditions. To assist four-wheeler drivers in navigating narrow or congested roads, Google has introduced a new feature that aims to minimize the use of such routes. This system employs a sophisticated AI model tailored for Indian roads, which analyzes various data points including satellite imagery, Street View information, road types, and building layouts to estimate road widths accurately. The routing algorithms have been refined to guide four-wheelers away from narrow roads when possible, without significantly impacting travel times or distances. This enhancement not only reduces stress for drivers but also benefits other road users such as cyclists and pedestrians by improving safety on narrow streets. In cases where narrow roads cannot be avoided, Google Maps now provides clear notifications on its Directions and Navigation interfaces, alerting users to narrow sections along their route. This allows drivers to proceed with caution or consider alternative paths. The feature is being rolled out initially on Android devices in eight Indian cities: Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Coimbatore, Indore, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, and Guwahati, with plans to expand to iOS and additional cities in the future. Recognising the prevalence of flyovers in many Indian cities, Google Maps is introducing a feature to highlight flyovers along recommended routes. This helps users anticipate upcoming elevated roads and prepare accordingly, whether they need to access the flyover or remain on the service road below. This feature is being launched in 40 cities across India for both four-wheeler and two-wheeler navigation on Android apps and Android Auto, with support for iOS and CarPlay coming soon. Google plans to make these narrow road and flyover features available to developers through the Google Maps Platform Routes API, enabling integration into third-party apps and services to further enhance location-based experiences in India. To support the growing adoption of electric vehicles, Google is introducing detailed information about EV charging stations on both Google Maps and Google Search in India. Through partnerships with leading EV charging providers such as ElectricPe, Ather, Kazam, and Statiq, Google has added comprehensive data for over 8,000 charging stations across the country. Users can now access information on plug types (including those for two-wheelers), real-time availability, and filter results by specific charger types. Notably, this marks the global debut of two-wheeler EV charging station information on Google Maps, with India being the first country to receive this feature. In collaboration with ONDC and Namma Yatri, Google Maps is launching a metro ticket booking experience in Kochi and Chennai. This integration allows users to purchase metro tickets directly through Google Maps when searching for public transport directions in these cities, streamlining the journey planning process and eliminating the need to queue at stations. Google Maps is also enhancing its incident reporting feature, making it easier for users to share information about road conditions, construction, or traffic incidents. The simplified process allows users to report issues with just a few taps, and even confirm reports from other users, increasing the reliability of crowd-sourced information. This update is available across all platforms - Android, iOS, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay. To enhance trip planning and exploration, Google Maps is improving its list creation and sharing capabilities. Users can now collaborate on lists of favourite places, share recommendations, and vote on destinations using emojis. Additionally, Google has partnered with local experts like NDTV Food and MagicPin to curate lists for ten major Indian cities and tourist spots, offering insider tips on the best places to eat, drink, and explore. These new features and partnerships demonstrate Google's commitment to tailoring its Maps service to the unique needs of the Indian market, leveraging AI and local expertise to provide more efficient, sustainable, and enjoyable navigation experiences for users across the country.

Google Maps focuses on India: enhances AI features and navigation

The technological competitors of Google on Thursday announced a project which will be aimed at making data sets required for building map features available for free. 
The world of online mapping is dominated by Alphabet-owned Google which provides its services to other platforms or companies and improves its other offerings like online advertising, using navigation and location capabilities.

Creating ripples in the Google-dominated market, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, TomTom and Meta have introduced “Overture Maps Foundation”, which is aimed at providing comprehensive mapping data freely to anyone who may need it for use, said non-profit Linux Foundation, in a press release.

ALSO READ|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-says-it-does-not-change-search-results-amid-hong-kong-anthem-row-543340">Google says it does not change search results amid Hong Kong anthem row</a>

"Mapping the physical environment and every community in the world, even as they grow and change, is a massively complex challenge that no one organization can manage," Linux Foundation executive director Jim Zemlin said. "Industry needs to come together to do this for the benefit of all,” he added.

The team of technological companies announced to work on Overture, did not include Google. However, it added that its goal is to increase membership for increasing the work’s progress. By mid-2023, the group of tech firms are expected to release their first mapping datasets.

"Immersive experiences, which understand and blend into your physical environment, are critical to the embodied internet of the future," said Erik Solem, engineering director of Maps at Meta Jan, in the press release.

WATCH|&nbsp;WION Fineprint: Google Chrome is most vulnerable browser in 2022

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-fineprint-google-chrome-is-most-vulnerable-browser-in-2022-523417/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"By delivering interoperable open map data, Overture provides the foundation for an open metaverse built by creators, developers, and businesses alike,” he added.

The Linux Foundation said that map data is used in applications for navigation, search, autonomous driving, games, logistics and more. The Overture map data will be provided as an open source, which will allow developers to not only use its data but also to build on it, said the Linux Foundation.

(With inputs from agencies)

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

The technological competitors of Google on Thursday announced a project which will be aimed at making data sets required for building map features available for free.

The technological competitors of Google on Thursday announced a project which will be aimed at making data sets required for building map features available for free. The world of online mapping is dominated by Alphabet-owned Google which provides its services to other platforms or companies and improves its other offerings like online advertising, using navigation and location capabilities. Creating ripples in the Google-dominated market, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, TomTom and Meta have introduced “Overture Maps Foundation”, which is aimed at providing comprehensive mapping data freely to anyone who may need it for use, said non-profit Linux Foundation, in a press release. ALSO READ| Google says it does not change search results amid Hong Kong anthem row "Mapping the physical environment and every community in the world, even as they grow and change, is a massively complex challenge that no one organization can manage," Linux Foundation executive director Jim Zemlin said. "Industry needs to come together to do this for the benefit of all,” he added. The team of technological companies announced to work on Overture, did not include Google. However, it added that its goal is to increase membership for increasing the work’s progress. By mid-2023, the group of tech firms are expected to release their first mapping datasets. "Immersive experiences, which understand and blend into your physical environment, are critical to the embodied internet of the future," said Erik Solem, engineering director of Maps at Meta Jan, in the press release. WATCH| WION Fineprint: Google Chrome is most vulnerable browser in 2022 "By delivering interoperable open map data, Overture provides the foundation for an open metaverse built by creators, developers, and businesses alike,” he added. The Linux Foundation said that map data is used in applications for navigation, search, autonomous driving, games, logistics and more. The Overture map data will be provided as an open source, which will allow developers to not only use its data but also to build on it, said the Linux Foundation. (With inputs from agencies)

Google’s rival tech firms join hands to make comprehensive mapping data

The world we live in is based on consensus. The world community agrees on certain fundamental things like history, or in this case, maps.

But Google seems to disagree.

If you are using <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/new-map-of-india-released-with-union-territories-of-jammu-and-kashmir-ladakh-259556">Google maps in India</a>, you'll see that the whole of Kashmir is marked as Indian territory. But the moment you leave the country, your map will also change.

For the global audience, Kashmir is marked with a dotted line which supposed to indicate that Kashmir is a disputed region.

As for India's position, it has always been clear, Kashmir is an integral part of the country.

But<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/google-maps-adds-navigation-mode-for-two-wheelers-in-india-25961"> Google's dual maps </a>cut directly at the root of India's territorial integrity.

There is no one yardstick that Google uses to draw maps. According to some Google employees, they take into account the opinion of diplomats and even company executives.

On multiple ocassions, Google had changed its border depictions after facing a backlash.

The move creates a lot of confusion for its users.

Take the example of a Russian citizen who is using Google maps in Moscow. For him, Kashmir will look like a disputed region on the map.

But the Russian government actually recognises Kashmir as an integral part of India.

Then there is also the issue of goodwill.

In January 2020, 98 per cent of all internet users in India were using Google. In the last financial year, their profits from India were up 16 per cent.

Unlike in other countries, Google has had a hassle-free experience in India.

But instead, Google has directed its goodwill towards China.

A country that has essentially banned the service within its borders.

China censors Google's search engine and eliminates all anti-government activity.

And yet, all google services including Google maps stay within the limits of what the Chinese government says.

The world we live in is based on consensus. The world community agrees on certain fundamental things like history, or in this case, maps. But Google seems to disagree.

The world we live in is based on consensus. The world community agrees on certain fundamental things like history, or in this case, maps. But Google seems to disagree. If you are using Google maps in India, you'll see that the whole of Kashmir is marked as Indian territory. But the moment you leave the country, your map will also change. For the global audience, Kashmir is marked with a dotted line which supposed to indicate that Kashmir is a disputed region. As for India's position, it has always been clear, Kashmir is an integral part of the country. But Google's dual maps cut directly at the root of India's territorial integrity. There is no one yardstick that Google uses to draw maps. According to some Google employees, they take into account the opinion of diplomats and even company executives. On multiple ocassions, Google had changed its border depictions after facing a backlash. The move creates a lot of confusion for its users. Take the example of a Russian citizen who is using Google maps in Moscow. For him, Kashmir will look like a disputed region on the map. But the Russian government actually recognises Kashmir as an integral part of India. Then there is also the issue of goodwill. In January 2020, 98 per cent of all internet users in India were using Google. In the last financial year, their profits from India were up 16 per cent. Unlike in other countries, Google has had a hassle-free experience in India. But instead, Google has directed its goodwill towards China. A country that has essentially banned the service within its borders. China censors Google's search engine and eliminates all anti-government activity. And yet, all google services including Google maps stay within the limits of what the Chinese government says.

Google Maps marks Kashmir's 'disputed' when seen from outside India

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Google Map, News on Google Map, stories on Google Map, articles on Google Map, Google Map stories at Wion, Google Map news, Google Map latest news

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'Gulf of America' or 'Gulf of Mexico': How Google deals with controversial geography

Google Maps focuses on India: enhances AI features and navigation

Google’s rival tech firms join hands to make comprehensive mapping data

Google Maps marks Kashmir's 'disputed' when seen from outside India