Google Maps to Display 'Lake America' Following Executive Order

Washington — Google announced on Saturday that it has begun updating its maps to reflect a name change for Lake Ontario, which will now be referred to as 'Lake America' following an executive order signed by President Trump. The order was issued last week amid ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and Canada. The lake is located between Ontario, Canada, and New York state. According to Google, users in the U.S. will see 'Lake America' on their maps, while Canadian users will continue to see 'Lake Ontario.' In regions outside of the U.S. and Canada, both names will be displayed, with 'Lake America' appearing in parentheses. Google stated that these updates align with its policy for bodies of water that have different names in different countries. The U.S. and Canada have been engaged in a trade dispute, with the U.S. imposing 50% tariffs on numerous Canadian goods earlier this month. In response, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced matching tariffs on U.S. goods. The executive order also directed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to update the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), which collaborates with the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to standardize geographic names for federal use. Google noted that its maps are updated to reflect changes from official government sources. This name change follows a previous alteration by President Trump, who renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the 'Gulf of America' earlier in his term. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung confirmed the name change on social media, while New York Governor Kathy Hochul expressed her disagreement with the new designation.