Mexico threatened to translate Google into court on Monday, February 17, if the American company does not withdraw from its cards the name “Gulf of America”. A mention that has replaced the “Gulf of Mexico” for American users since the end of January, according to a requirement by Donald Trump.
This episode recalls others. The cartography tool has already been summoned by countries to rename certain places. Anxious not to offend anyone, the American company often favors double names and ensures that the names vary depending on the country of connection.
► “Persian Gulf” versus “Arabian Gulf”
In 2012, Iran had already threatened to continue the American digital giant after finding that the “Persian Gulf” had been renamed “Arabian Gulf” on Google Maps cards in neighboring Arab countries.
What awaken an old dispute on the name of this maritime area. In the 1960s, Egyptian President Nasser had popularized the term “Arabian Gulf” to assert Arab power. This name is used today in the textbooks of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar or Iraq. A fact denounced by Iran, which claims the historical name of “Persian Gulf”.
In 2012, despite the Iranian threats – which remained in vain -, Google did not change its toponymy. Even today, the name of the Gulf varies according to the user region: the monarchies of the Gulf and Iraq are still showing “Arabic Gulf”, while the Iranians keep their “Persian Gulf”.
This name, whose use is recommended by the UN, is also privileged from France since it appears first during research. However, a zoom on the map also reveals the mention “Arabian Gulf”, placed in parentheses. In the same way, the “Gulf of America” is now written under the name “Gulf of Mexico”.
► “Japan Sea” versus “East Sea” in Korea
In Asia, Google Maps was struggling with a historic conflict concerning the sea between the South Korean peninsula and the Japan archipelago. Japan calls it “Japan Sea”, South Korea, “East Sea”.
This disagreement is based on old tensions, linked to the Japanese colonization of Korea (1910-1945). Japan argues that the term “Japan Sea” has long prevails over international cards, but South Korea requires the rehabilitation of the Korean appellation and the joint use of the two names.
In 2012, the UN confirmed that “Mer of Japan” remained the official name, while admitting the mention of other names. Google Maps has complied. The map now indicates “Japan Sea” and in parentheses “Eastern Sea”.
► Litigation around the islands
In Asia, while China claims to have 90 % of the Southern China Sea – a strategic maritime area for fishing and resources – several islands are the subject of territorial conflicts that have given a hard time Google Maps.
In 2010, Vietnam complained to Google to use the Chinese name to designate the claimed archipelago of the paracels. The Philippines did the same in 2014 for the Spratly Islands and the Scarborough reef. Google has changed its names. Since then, the names of the disputed territories vary depending on the connection region.
The same is true for the Greek islands of the Aegean Sea claimed by Turkey. The islets of “Imia” (Greek name) located near the Turkish coast thus take the name of “Kardak” when you connect from Turkey. In addition, as for the China Sea, Google Maps does not show a clear delimitation of the borders in this area of the Aegean Sea.
The double toponymy is also in force with regard to the Malouine Islands, an English territory located in the South Atlantic, claimed by the Argentines. Named “Falkland Islands” for English -speaking users, they become “Malvinas Islas” for Hispanophones, according to their official name in Argentina. In the rest of the world, the two appellations rub shoulders, the Spanish name being indicated in parentheses.
► What about La Palestine?
In 2016, a controversy had broken out around the representation of Palestine on Google Maps. An online petition, signed by more than 250,000 people, reproached Google for having made this name of the cards disappear. The “Palestine” research landed well on the area, without any name appearing.
Google spokesperson then defended themselves, saying that the name “Palestine” had never been mentioned on Google Maps and that no change had been introduced. The American company explained that the UN member states appear (Palestine being an observer state since 2012). The same policy therefore applies to Kosovo or to the state of the Vatican, whose name is not mentioned as that of a country on the cards of Google.
(tagstotranslate) International
