Who owns the Gulf of Mexico and can Trump rename it?

The Gulf of Mexico is a major economic center for the US, Mexico and Cuba

President-elect Donald Trump is once again mulling a major, long-shot global grab — like pondering the “absolute neccessity” of America’s purchase of Greenland — ahead of his upcoming administration.

Now Trump is tossing around the idea of changing the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America."

The nations with the most "control" over the gulf are the U.S., Mexico, and Cuba, and for years have shared the body of water. The gulf serves as an important center of economic activity, including fishing, electricity generation, and shipping.

Why does the gulf bear Mexico's name? It's actually not a reference to the modern state of Mexico, but rather to a Native American city bearing the same moniker, and it has borne that name for more than 400 years.

Despite the fact that the gulf is shared by multiple nations, Trump recently said that the US does the "most work" on the gulf, and insisted that the body of water should bear America's name "because it's ours."

President-elect Donald Trump said he wants to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the ‘Gulf of America’ because ‘it’s ours’ (AP)

While ownership is up for debate, it's true that the US has claimed control over much of the gulf. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea determined that U.S. territorial waters expand for 12 nautical miles from its shores, and the US federal government manages the seas and the submerged parts of the Outer Continental Shelf as well.

As is typical of some of Trump's proclamations, he did not provide technical details on how he might achieve the name change, and kicked taking action on the name to "a future date pretty soon."

Trump ally Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene said she planned to introduce legislation to change the name of the gulf on Thursday.

“The American people are footing the bill to protect and secure the maritime waterways for commerce to be conducted. Our U.S. armed forces protect the area from any military threats from foreign countries,” she said in a statement. “It’s our gulf. The rightful name is the Gulf of America and it’s what the entire world should refer to it as.”

While the U.S. could pass legislation requiring a name change in the US, there would be nothing forcing other nations to adhere to that decision.

Trump also used his musings to attack Mexico, calling the nation "very dangerous" and "in a lot of trouble," citing drug trafficking and illegal immigration. However, most drug trafficking from Mexico is aimed at fulfilling consumer demand from Americans.

Trump has further proposed imposing tariffs on both Mexico and Canada if the nations do not meet his demands for stopping illegal immigration and curbing drug trafficking. He claimed that America's neighbors are responsible for significant amounts of drug and illegal immigrant crossings, but did not provide data or evidence for his claims.

If Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo is taking Trump's threats to rename the gulf seriously, she hasn't show it publicly. She has, however, responded to his threats to impose tariffs, telling the former president that the cartel violence in Mexico — and the instability it causes — is fueled by American demand for illegal drugs and US-made weapons being smuggled into the country.

Trump has proposed potential U.S. military incursions into Mexico to engage drug cartels, said he would name Mexican drug cartels “terrorist organizations,” and elsewhere in central America has accused Panama of overcharging U.S. shipping vessels for use of the Panama Canal.