Gulf of Mexico: Who are the real owners?
The president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, recently declared his intention to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” once he officially takes office on January 20.
“We are going to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the ‘Gulf of America,’ which sounds great and covers a large area. What a beautiful name. And it’s appropriate, it really is.” Trump said during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago residence, located in Miami, Florida.
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The Gulf of Mexico, a semi-enclosed body of water that is part of the Atlantic Ocean, has an approximate surface area of 1 million 550 thousand square kilometers (km²). This gulf is surrounded by three nations: Mexico to the south and southwest, the United States to the north and northeast, and Cuba to the southeast. Although these three nations share sovereignty and maritime rights in the region, This is regulated under the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Each country has authority over their respective territorial waters, which extend up to 12 nautical miles from their coasts, as well as over their exclusive economic zones (EEZ), which extend up to 200 nautical miles. However, The areas furthest from the coast are part of international waters, where there is no specific jurisdiction.
The Mexican Gulf Coast includes the states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo. On the United States side, the Gulf washes the coasts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. Cuba, Although it has a smaller coastline compared to the other two countries, it also has its coastal strip in the north.
The Gulf of Mexico is a strategic region in both economic and environmental terms, as it plays a crucial role in fishing, shipping, and the exploitation of natural resources such as oil and gas.
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The origin of the name “Gulf of Mexico”
The term “Gulf of Mexico” has its roots in the time of Spanish exploration and colonization during the 16th century. Nevertheless, It is not known with certainty who was the first to call it that. Before the arrival of the Europeans, The indigenous peoples of the region already had local names for the waters near their territories, although there is no record of a unified term to refer to the gulf.
Following Trump’s announcement, Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene expressed his support for the proposal and assured that he will soon present a bill to make the name change official.
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