Breaking: Florida Declares ‘Gulf of America’—Is This the Boldest Move Yet?

In a bold move that has made national headlines Florida has become the first state in the U S to officially adopt the new name for the Gulf of Mexico now to be known as the Gulf of America This change follows a directive from President Donald Trump who signed an executive order on January which required federal agencies to replace the Gulf of Mexico name with Gulf of America The goal To honor the Gulf s economic importance and its significance to American citizens Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speedily embraced this change referencing the Gulf of America in an emergency declaration related to a winter storm marking the first official use of the new name in a state emergency Shortly after the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission took action by issuing an executive order that mandates the new name to be used in all state communications and official materials But Florida isn t stopping there State lawmakers are already pushing for the name change to be institutionalized A bill introduced by Senator Joe Gruters Senate Bill is seeking to ensure that all new educational and leadership materials purchased after July will officially feature the Gulf of America name Additionally House Bill sponsored by Representative Juan Carlos Porras aims to embed the new name within state law and tuition curriculums across Florida On a federal level the U S Coast Guard has also updated its regulations now referring to the Gulf as Gulf of America following the executive order However while the U S governing body is moving forward with the change international response has been slow Countries like Mexico have expressed concerns especially over issues of sovereignty and have yet to recognize the new name The decision to rename the Gulf has sparked a heated debate Supporters of the name change see it as a powerful symbol of American pride and heritage Critics however argue that it overlooks the region s rich history and could strain international relations As Florida leads the way the world watches to see if the name Gulf of America will catch on or if it will remain a point of contention