Google to change map names for Gulf of Mexico, Denali
Washington, Jan 28: Google says it will take its cue from the US government if it has to change the names of the Gulf of Mexico and Denali on its maps.
The company said Monday that it will only make changes when the government updates its official listings for the body of water and the mountain.
After taking office, President Donald Trump ordered that the water bordered by the Southern United States, Mexico and Cuba be renamed to the Gulf of America. He also ordered America’s highest mountain peak be changed back to Mt. McKinley.
“We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources,” Google said in a post on X.
The company said that Maps will reflect any updates to the Geographic Names Information System, a database of more than 1 million geographic features in the United States.
“When that happens, we will update Google Maps in the US quickly to show Mount McKinley and Gulf of America,” Google said.
“Denali” is the mountain’s preferred name for Alaska Natives. Former President Barack Obama ordered it changed in 2015 from its previous name “McKinley,” which was a tribute to President William McKinley, designated in the late 19th century by a gold prospector. (AP)
Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano spewing lava once again
Honolulu, Jan 28: One of the world’s most active volcanoes is back in action. The Kilauea volcano at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is spewing lava once again, the seventh recorded episode in recent weeks.
The eruption that began December 23 in a crater at Kilauea’s summit has paused periodically. It resumed Monday, preceded by small, sporadic spatter fountains that continued to increase intensity to reach “sustained fountaining”, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said.
Fountains on the north side are 30 to 40 metres high and feeding multiple lava streams, the observatory said. A small fountain can be seen in the south side with a small lava flow emerging, the observatory said.
The current episode will probably last 10 to 20 hours, the observatory said. (AP)