The Effects of Renaming a Large, International Body of Water 

By: Tuffy Fields

We have recently witnessed the change of the names of international bodies of water. This is not new. When I moved to Arabia I looked out on what was known as the Persian Gulf. The name comes from the ancient civilization of Persia which in modern times is Iran. The Saudis changed the name of the gulf as they were and still are not fans of Iran. The name was changed to the Arabian Gulf. If a person lived in Saudi Arabia, the term Persian Gulf was never to be used. Maps and documents contained the name Arabian Gulf while maps outside of Arabia contained the name Persian Gulf. Forty-five years later and the story is the same; however, it is just accepted and there is little said about the difference. Other examples of national naming conventions are: 

1, The English Channel is used by England while France calls it La Macha. 

2. Japan uses the Sea of Japan while South Korea uses The East Sea. 

3. The United States uses the Gulf of California while Mexico uses the Sea of Cortex.