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Google Maps now shows ‘Lake America’ in the US but ‘Lake Ontario’ in Canada. Here’s why the same waterbody has two names and how far Trump’s naming powers extend
On August 27, Trump signed an executive order directing the US government to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America”. (Reuters)
If you open Google Maps in the US, Lake Ontario may now appear as “Lake America”. Open the same map in Canada and it remains Lake Ontario. Meanwhile, users outside the two countries can see both names.
The mismatch is not a glitch. It is the result of a US government decision under President Donald Trump and Google’s policy of reflecting official geographic names in its maps.
The unusual situation also raises a bigger question: Can a US president really rename a lake that is shared with another country? And if he can, does that mean the rest of the world has to accept the new name?
Why Is Lake Ontario Now ‘Lake America’?
On August 27, Trump signed an executive order directing the US government to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America”. The order directed the Interior Department, working with the US Board on Geographic Names, to take steps to make the new name official for US federal use and update the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
“We’re going to be changing the name of Lake Ontario effective immediately to Lake America. The lake change, the Lake of America, was something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, actually,” he said.
The lake is shared by the United States and Canada, with New York on its southern and eastern side and Canada’s Ontario province to the north, west and southwest. Trump’s order specifically describes the body of water bounded by those jurisdictions.
The move came amid heightened tensions between Washington and Ottawa, including a broader trade dispute.
So Why Does Google Show Different Names?
Google Maps does not have to use one identical label everywhere.
Google says it updates Maps to reflect name changes contained in official government sources such as the US Geographic Names Information System. Since GNIS has now formally changed the US name to “Lake America”, Google Maps users in the United States see that name. But Google has not renamed the lake globally.
Google says this follows its longstanding approach to geographic features whose names vary from one country to another. That explains why two people looking at the same body of water can see two different names.
Does Trump Have The Power To Rename Lake Ontario?
Trump can direct a change in the US government’s official naming system but he cannot unilaterally rename the lake for Canada or the rest of the world.
The US Board on Geographic Names is the federal authority responsible for standardising geographic names for US federal use. Its decisions are binding on federal departments and agencies.
US law gives the Interior Secretary, together with the Board on Geographic Names, responsibility for maintaining uniform geographic nomenclature throughout the federal government.
Trump’s executive order therefore has a clear domestic consequence: US federal agencies are expected to use “Lake America” in official maps, documents and communications. But that authority stops short of forcing other governments or private companies around the world to adopt the name.
What About Google, Apple And MapQuest?
The US Board on Geographic Names itself says its authority applies to federal agencies and contractors, not private mapping companies. It cannot require Google, Apple or other private companies to use a particular name on their products.
Google nevertheless chose to follow the US government’s new designation for users in the United States. That does not mean every map has to do the same.
Reports have noted that Apple Maps and MapQuest continue to use Lake Ontario, demonstrating that private mapping services can make their own decisions about how geographic names are displayed.
Why Is Canada Still Calling It Lake Ontario?
Prime Minister Mark Carney said the name predates both modern Canada and the United States and insisted that Canadians would continue to use the traditional name. “Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario—then, now and always.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has reaffirmed the traditional name, while a large bilingual sign on the Canadian shore declared: “Lake Ontario: Now and Always.”
This is also why the issue is more than a simple map-label change. The lake is a shared geographic feature with a long history and significance on both sides of the border.
Has Trump Done This Before?
The Lake America move follows Trump’s earlier attempt to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America”.
That change followed a similar pattern: the US government adopted the new name for its own official use, while other countries and international organisations were not automatically bound to use it.
Google subsequently displayed “Gulf of America” for users in the US, while other parts of the world continued using different naming conventions.
Can Trump Rename Other Places Too?
Within the US federal system, the administration has considerable influence over federal geographic naming. But there are limits.
The Board on Geographic Names was created to standardise names used by the federal government, and its mandate covers geographic features in the United States and its territories.
But a presidential order does not automatically change a name recognised by another country, force state governments to change their own databases, compel private mapping companies to adopt the name, change international treaties or borders, and alter what people in other countries call the feature.
In other words, a name on a US government map is not the same thing as an internationally binding geographic name.
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The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, …Read More
New York, United States of America (USA)
August 31, 2026, 12:57 IST
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