Google Maps has changed the name of “Lake Ontario” to “Lake America” for US users. The change was made to reflect US President Donald Trump’s executive order to rename the lake.
Trump announced on Thursday that he was changing the name of the smallest of the Great Lakes, following escalating trade disputes with Canada that have led the two countries to impose billions of dollars in reciprocal tariffs.
President Trump's order must be reflected in the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). However, his decision has no impact on Canadian naming conventions or how the rest of the world refers to the lake.
"People using Maps in the US will see it as 'Lake America', those in Canada will continue to see it as 'Lake Ontario', and those outside the US and Canada will see both names," Google said in a post on Saturday.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney immediately rejected the lake's name change. Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul of New York, which shares a long border with Canada, declared that "New York will no longer call it that," while Phil Scott, the Republican governor of neighboring Vermont, called Trump's decision "petty and disappointing" on social media.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford unveiled a large lakeside sign reading "Lake Ontario: Now and Always," in both English and French. "President Trump can call it whatever he wants, but I can tell you the rest of the world will always call it Lake Ontario," Ford said. ©LAPSI.al
