Google Maps labels Lake Ontario ‘Lake America’ in U.S. following presidential order
Following an executive order issued by President Donald Trump, Google Maps has updated its U.S. mapping to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America.” This change aligns with the president's directive to rename the smallest of the five Great Lakes. The renaming is part of a broader escalation in trade disputes between the United States and Canada, with both countries imposing reciprocal tariffs on billions of dollars in goods.
The change specifically affects the U.S. Geographic Names Information System, which sets naming standards for official U.S. maps. Google confirmed the update reflects this federal decision, similar to last year’s revision when the Gulf of Mexico was temporarily labeled the “Gulf of America” on Google Maps after a comparable executive order.
President Trump announced the renaming on Thursday amid ongoing tensions with Canada, signifying a symbolic assertion of American identity in geographic nomenclature tied to the trade conflict. The renaming of Lake Ontario marks a notable development in how geopolitical disputes can influence official cartographic representations.