Trump signs executive order renaming Gulf of Mexico "Gulf of America"

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump, who was inaugurated Monday, signed an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America" hours after taking the oath of office.

Trump, as the text of his executive order read, claimed that the water body "has long been an integral asset to our once burgeoning Nation and has remained an indelible part of America."

"The Gulf was a crucial artery for America's early trade and global commerce," the order stated.

The change of the current internationally recognized name of the gulf is a unilateral move promised by Trump earlier this month.

During a press conference on Jan. 7 at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump announced the plan to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America," adding that "Mexico has to stop allowing millions of people to pour into our country."

Hitting back at Trump's proposal, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo said at a press conference on Jan. 8: "Obviously the Gulf of Mexico is recognized by the United Nations... but why don't we call this 'Mexican America'?"