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Google Maps has changed the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America” after Donald Trump‘s controversial recent executive order.

On Thursday (August 27), the 80-year-old President of the United States signed an executive order to rename one of the Great Lakes amid trade tensions between the United States and Canada.

This name change comes a year and a half after Trump signed another order in February 2025 to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

Google addressed the name change in a statement shared to their blog.

The U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) has formally changed the name for “Lake Ontario” to “Lake America” in the United States. Since we update Google Maps to reflect name changes in official government sources, which is GNIS for the U.S., people using Maps in the U.S. will see “Lake America.” – Google

However, while users in the US will see “Lake America” on Google Maps, those outside of the country will still see “Lake Ontario” or another variation.

Those in Canada will continue to see “Lake Ontario,” and those outside of the U.S. and Canada will see both names. These updates follow our long-standing policy for bodies of water with names that vary from country to country, and are starting to roll out now.

People from around the world have taken to social media to share what name it shows on their Google Maps, with a majority of users only seeing “Lake Ontario,” though some have reported they see “Lake Ontario (Lake America).”

Why Is Donald Trump Renaming Lake Ontario?

“As I announced in Executive Order 14172 of January 20, 2025 (Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness), it is the policy of my Administration to recognize the extraordinary contributions of the American people and the rich heritage of our history by naming great natural landmarks for our shared achievements,” he declared in the executive order.

“The United States is the greatest protector of the Great Lakes, including the body of water currently known as Lake Ontario. Without the security and investment provided by the United States, this freshwater system would not be open for shipping, recreation, and responsible use to the same extent as it is today. The United States Coast Guard supplies 9 of the 11 ice breaking vessels on the Great Lakes, securing commercial shipping lanes free of charge. The United States has invested nearly $4 billion in protecting the Great Lakes freshwater ecosystem in the last decade, while Canada has invested far less in similar initiatives over the same period.”

Where is Lake Ontario?

Lake Ontario is located in North America, bordered by Ontario to the north and New York to the south. It is the smallest and easternmost of the five Great Lakes.

Read the full executive order here!

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