Donald Trump has suggested renaming the Atlantic Ocean the 'American Ocean'. The US president made the statement at a campaign rally in Corinth, Mississippi, where he was supporting Republican candidates ahead of the midterm elections for Congress.
“I think about the Atlantic Ocean – let's call it the 'American Ocean'. Europe will be ecstatic“, Trump told his supporters.
He linked the idea to his administration's previous renamings of the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario. In US federal usage, the Gulf of Mexico has been replaced by the 'American Gulf', and Lake Ontario – with “Lake America“.
River remains unknown
The president did not specify which river he was considering renaming. In his remarks in Mississippi, he stressed that the name of the Mississippi River would not be changed.
“I promise I will never change the name of the Mississippi,“ Trump said.At an earlier rally, Trump also mentioned the Hudson River as a possible option, but did not announce a formal proposal. On October 21, he said he would probably abandon the idea of a new ocean name after he said he had spoken with Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google.
“Oceans are different. They span many countries,“ Trump said, presenting Pichai's reaction. The president then added that the name Atlantic Ocean could be retained. In his subsequent speech in Mississippi, however, the idea of an “American Ocean“ was once again raised publicly.
The decisions on the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario oblige US federal institutions to use the new names, but do not automatically change the international use of geographical names.
So for now, “American Ocean“ remains a Trump proposal, not an officially established geographical name.
Sources: apnews.com, content.rollcall.com, abcnews.com