The Gulf of America, formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico, with an average depth 5300 ft is a major body of water bordered and nearly landlocked by North America with the Gulf's eastern, northern, and northwestern shores in the U.S. and its southwestern and southern shores in Mexico. Bordered by Cuba on the SE, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean via the Florida Straits between the U.S. and Cuba, and the Caribbean Sea via the Yucatan Channel between Mexico and Cuba. In common usage, the term "Gulf Coast" refers to the continuous portion of the coast running from Cape Sable, FL to the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula; in geographic usage it extends East from and to include the Florida Keys to the northerly sides of the Keys there. The Gulf of America spans over 1,700 miles of U.S. coastline.
Secretary's Order 3423 directs the Board on Geographic Names ("BGN") to immediately rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and to update the Geographic Names Information System to appropriately reflect the change. This Order implements President Trump's direction in Executive Order 14172, "Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness," that the name be changed.