Trump changes name of Denali back to Mount McKinley

Denali was previously known as Mount McKinley after William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States. It was renamed Denali in 2015, a name the Koyukon Athabaskans Indigenous people have used for the mountain for centuries. However, on January 21, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to change the name back to Mount McKinley. The disputed mountain is the highest peak in North America, summiting at 20,310 feet (6,190 m) above sea level. Located in Alaska, it's the centerpiece of the Denali National Park and Preserve.

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Eryri -

Eryri is the name given to a mountainous region and national park in North Wales. The park boundaries enclose all 15 mountains in Wales over 3,000 feet (914 m) high, including the country's loftiest, Snowdon.

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Snowdonia -

In 2024, Eryri replaced the word Snowdonia to describe the region. A Welsh name, Eryri means ridge, rise, or highland in the English language.

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Uluru -

One of the most recognized natural landmarks in the world, Ulura is a huge sandstone monolith located near the center of Australia. south-west of Alice Springs.

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Ayers Rock -

Ulura used to be known as Ayers Rock, but in 1993 it was officially renamed Ayers Rock/Uluru—the first feature in the Northern Territory to be given dual names. In 2002, these names were reversed. The local Pitjantjatjara people have always called the landmark Uluṟu, and it remains one of the most important indigenous sites in Australia.

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Bannau Brycheiniog National Park -

Bannau Brycheiniog National Park lies in mid-Wales. The name in Welsh means the peaks of Brychan's kingdom.

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Brecon Beacons National Park -

Established in 1957 as the Brecon Beacons National Park, its name was changed in 2024 for various reasons, including a desire to use a name that meant something to the local people.

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Aoraki -

At 12,218 feet (3,724 m), Aoraki is the highest mountain in New Zealand. It sits in the Southern Alps on South Island.

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Mount Cook -

Aoraki was previously known as Mount Cook. In 1998, a settlement between Ngāi Tahu and the Crown saw the official renaming of the mountain from Mount Cook to Aoraki Mount Cook, in deference to Māori heritage.

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Mount Blue Sky -

Mount Blue Sky looms large in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. Summiting out at 14,266 feet (4,348 m), it's one of the more characteristic Front Range peaks and dominates the Denver metropolitan area skyline.

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Mount Evans -

Mount Blue Sky was once known as Mount Evans, named for the second governor of the Territory of Colorado, John Evans. In 2023, the US Board of Geographic Names voted to rename the mountain due to Evans' involvement in the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre.

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Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges -

The dramatic escarpment known as the Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges are a defining natural feature of Kimberley region of Western Australia.

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King Leopold Ranges -

They used to be called King Leopold Ranges, but the name was dropped due to the link with King Leopold II of Belgium. From 1885 to 1908, he was responsible for the deaths of thousands in the Congo Free State. As Wunaamin Miliwundi, the ranges now honor the area's Aboriginal heritage.

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kunanyi -

Topping out at 4,170 ft (1,271 m), kunanyi looms large over Hobart, the capital city of Tasmania, also in Australia.

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Mount Wellington -

The Aboriginal people always referred to the mountain as kunanyi, even when it was known as Mount Wellington. In 2013, the Tasmanian government announced a dual naming policy, resulting in the landmark's current name, kunanyi/Mount Wellington.

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K’gari -

K’gari is a pristine sand island set along the south-eastern coast in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland, Australia.

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Fraser Island -

K'gari was formally known as Fraser Island, and many still refer to it as such. In 2021, however, the World Heritage Committee officially renamed the island K'gari out of respect for the People.

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Haida Gwaii -

Haida Gwaii is an archipelago located off the northern Pacific coast in the Canadian province of British Columbia.

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Queen Charlotte Islands -

In the 1980s, Haida Gwaii was chosen as an alternative name for the colonial-era named Queen Charlotte Islands. Haida Gwaii means "islands of the people" in the language of the Haida.

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Gariwerd National Park -

Gariwerd National Park is located in the Grampians region of Victoria, Australia. The park is celebrated for its outstanding natural beauty and for being one of the richest Aboriginal rock art sites in south-eastern Australia.

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Grampians National Park -

Gariwerd National Park is still referred to by some as Grampians National Park, its original name. But many now refer to the region as Gariwerd, the name given to it by the Jardwadjali people.

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Woonoongoora National Park -

Woonoongoora National Park lies across the Lamington Plateau of the McPherson Range on the Queensland-New South Wales border.

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Lamington National Park -

Woonoongoora was formally called Lamington National Park. The reserve is known for its pristine natural environment, rainforests, birdlife, ancient trees, waterfalls, walking tracks, and mountain views.

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Qathet -

Qathet, a Tla’amin word meaning "working together," is the name of a regional district within the northern Sunshine Coast of southwestern British Columbia, Canada.

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River Powell -

Qathet is the new name replacing the Powell River regional district's name. It was chosen by local First Nations, partly because the Powell River was named after Israel Wood Powell— Superintendent of Indian Affairs for British Columbia between 1872 and 1884. He oversaw some of the worst years of oppression and dispossession of First Nations people in the province.

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Aotearoa -

Aotearoa is the name given by some when describing New Zealand. Aotearoa is the Māori-language name for the country, and the Māori Party has in fact launched a petition to revert to the nation's original name.

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New Zealand -

Some travelers are already referring to New Zealand as Aotearoa in respect of the Māori language and culture.

Sources: (The Guardian) (Scripps News) (Sky News) (CPR News)

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Mount McKinley -

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Eryri -

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Snowdonia -

In 2024, Eryri replaced the word Snowdonia to describe the region. A Welsh name, Eryri means ridge, rise, or highland in the English language.

Getty Images

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Uluru -

One of the most recognized natural landmarks in the world, Ulura is a huge sandstone monolith located near the center of Australia. south-west of Alice Springs.

Getty Images

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Ayers Rock -

Getty Images

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Bannau Brycheiniog National Park -

Bannau Brycheiniog National Park lies in mid-Wales. The name in Welsh means the peaks of Brychan's kingdom.

Getty Images

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Brecon Beacons National Park -

Established in 1957 as the Brecon Beacons National Park, its name was changed in 2024 for various reasons, including a desire to use a name that meant something to the local people.

Getty Images

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Aoraki -

At 12,218 feet (3,724 m), Aoraki is the highest mountain in New Zealand. It sits in the Southern Alps on South Island.

Getty Images

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Mount Cook -

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Mount Blue Sky -

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Mount Evans -

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Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges -

The dramatic escarpment known as the Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges are a defining natural feature of Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Getty Images

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King Leopold Ranges -

Getty Images

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kunanyi -

Topping out at 4,170 ft (1,271 m), kunanyi looms large over Hobart, the capital city of Tasmania, also in Australia.

Getty Images

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Mount Wellington -

Getty Images

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K’gari -

K’gari is a pristine sand island set along the south-eastern coast in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland, Australia.

Getty Images

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Fraser Island -

K'gari was formally known as Fraser Island, and many still refer to it as such. In 2021, however, the World Heritage Committee officially renamed the island K'gari out of respect for the People.

Getty Images

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Haida Gwaii -

Haida Gwaii is an archipelago located off the northern Pacific coast in the Canadian province of British Columbia.

Getty Images

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Queen Charlotte Islands -

In the 1980s, Haida Gwaii was chosen as an alternative name for the colonial-era named Queen Charlotte Islands. Haida Gwaii means "islands of the people" in the language of the Haida.

Getty Images

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Gariwerd National Park -

Getty Images

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Grampians National Park -

Gariwerd National Park is still referred to by some as Grampians National Park, its original name. But many now refer to the region as Gariwerd, the name given to it by the Jardwadjali people.

Getty Images

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Woonoongoora National Park -

Woonoongoora National Park lies across the Lamington Plateau of the McPherson Range on the Queensland-New South Wales border.

Getty Images

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Lamington National Park -

Getty Images

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Qathet -

Qathet, a Tla’amin word meaning "working together," is the name of a regional district within the northern Sunshine Coast of southwestern British Columbia, Canada.

Getty Images

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River Powell -

Getty Images

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Aotearoa -

Getty Images

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New Zealand -

Some travelers are already referring to New Zealand as Aotearoa in respect of the Māori language and culture.

Sources: (The Guardian) (Scripps News) (Sky News) (CPR News)

Getty Images

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Trump changes name of Denali back to Mount McKinley

Alaska’s lawmakers are against renaming North America’s highest peak

21/01/25 | StarsInsider

TRAVEL Culture

As one of Donald Trump’s first moves as a second-term president, he has signed an executive order to change the name of Denali back to Mount McKinley. He said during his inauguration speech, “We will restore the name of a great president, William McKinley, to Mount McKinley where it should be and where it belongs.”

North America’s highest peak resides in Alaska, and the state's lawmakers have made it clear that they do not support the name change. The debate over the mountain's name has been going on for well over 100 years.

It was first named Mount McKinley in 1896 after the pro-tariff president McKinley, who it is believed never actually visited the mountain and had no historical ties to the area. The Koyukon Athabascan people who lived near the mountain, however, called it Denali, meaning "The Great One," and in 2015 Barack Obama restored its original name as a part of his campaign to improve relations with the Native American community.

In recent times, many people have urged governments and local authorities to recognize natural landmarks for their Indigenous heritage. So where in the world are some of the most notable examples of this policy found? Click through and learn of the new names replacing the old.