The name "Gulf of Mexico" (Spanish: golfo de México; French: golphe du Mexique, later golfe du Mexique) first appeared on a world map in 1550 and a historical account in 1552. [13] As with other large bodies of water, Europeans named the gulf after Mexico, land of the Mexica, because mariners needed to cross the gulf to reach that destination ...

Feb 17, 2025 · The Gulf of Mexico was named by Spaniards because it served as a crucial route to Mexico-Tenochtitlán, the former capital of the Aztec Empire. The name stuck, as ships had to cross the gulf to reach the former Aztec capital.

Apr 21, 2025 · The name Gulf of Mexico has been applied to the body of water since at least the late 16th century. English geographer Richard Hakluyt referred to the “Gulfe of Mexico” in The Principall Navigations, Voiages and Discoveries of the English Nation (1589).

The Gulf of Mexico's history is reflected in its many names. From the indigenous names that acknowledged its life-giving properties to the colonial designations that reflected claims of ownership, the Gulf's identity has been shaped by diverse …

Jan 13, 2025 · The gulf was formed almost 200 million years ago, when tectonic plates separated and crashed, creating a “super basin” and trapping organic matter in pockets beneath the land, which became the crucible for massive reserves of oil and gas.

Feb 4, 2025 · The Gulf of Mexico recalls the rise, fall, and fate of the Mexica. The narrative is prologue to the Euro-American experience in the New World: the assault by Spain, Portugal, France, The Netherlands, Russia, Great Britain and, ultimately, the United States, the “Colossus of the North,” upon the land and its people.

May 23, 2018 · The Gulf of Mexico is thought to have originated about 250 million years ago with the rifting or breaking apart of the tectonic plates of North America, South America, and Africa. When these components separated, an area of ocean floor developed between North and South America, which became the basin for the Gulf of Mexico.

Oct 1, 1995 · Discover the rich history, ecological significance, and economic importance of the Gulf of Mexico, from its geological origins to its role in Texas commerce and environmental challenges.

Feb 17, 2025 · Beyond recent political developments, the Gulf of Mexico—now the Gulf of America—has a rich and complex history, from a cataclysmic meteor impact that ended the age of dinosaurs to centuries of exploration, trade, and maritime legend.

The Gulf of Mexico is an oceanic basin and marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, primarily bordered by North America. It's enclosed by the Gulf Coast of the United States to the northeast, north, and northwest, and by the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo to the southwest and south.