Can Donald Trump actually rebrand the Gulf of Mexico?
Donald Trump has confirmed he is planning to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.
The announcement prompted a chuckle from former Democrat contender Hillary Clinton over the bizarre nature of the statement.
But does Trump have the power to change the Gulf of Mexico’s name and who owns the ocean basin?
We’ve dug into this below.
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Can Donald Trump rename the Gulf of Mexico?
During his inauguration, Trump announced to the crowd: ‘A short time from now, we are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of America.’
The reasoning behind this was because he believes that it is a ‘beautiful’ and ‘appropriate’ name and also added: ‘Because we do most of the work there, and it’s ours.’
So can Trump actually rename it if he so choses?
The International Hydrographic Bureau (IHB) has the job of standardising names and resolving disputes.
But there is no international body that has the final word on maritime names.
There is also no formal agreement or protocol for renaming maritime areas.
He did say during his inauguration that the name change would happen in ‘a short time from now’.
With all this taken into consideration, Trump could change the name of the Gulf of Mexico in official US documents.
But other countries would not have to follow suit with the name change.
Who owns the Gulf of Mexico?
The US has maritime jurisdiction over its portion of the Gulf of Mexico and Mexico has jurisdiction over its part.
The maritime border between Mexico and the US starts at the centre of the mouth of the Rio Grande.
The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea says that US territorial waters expand for 12 nautical miles from its shores.
Meanwhile, the US federal government manages the seas and the submerged parts of the Outer Continental Shelf as well.
What does Trump want to do with the Gulf of Mexico?
During his inauguration speech, Trump said it is America’s right to ‘claim its rightful place as the greatest, most powerful, most respected nation on Earth’.
He said that renaming the body of water is justified and symbolic of a broader vision for American sovereignty.
According to ABC, he claimed the Gulf is controlled by cartels and that the renaming is needed to strengthen the borders.
Strategically the gulf is an important centre for economic activity such as fishing, maritime transport and oil and gas production.
Trump also said that he believes the new name is ‘beautiful’ and ‘appropriate’ for the US.
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