Google Maps renames Lake Ontario 'Lake America' in US – but not Canada

Google Maps has renamed Lake Ontario to Lake America for users in the United States after President Donald Trump announced the change on Sunday. However, Canadians will still see the traditional Indigenous-rooted name, Lake Ontario, on their devices and computers. The tech giant explained that the change was made in line with the US Geographic Names Information System, which is the official federal database for geographic names in the United States.

Google stated that people outside the US and Canada will see both names. The renaming comes as part of Trump's "America First" narrative and has sparked criticism from Canadian officials. Ontario's premier, Doug Ford, called the move "absolutely backwards" and warned that a trade war would harm both countries, particularly the US due to Canada being the largest purchaser of US vehicles.

The controversy echoes a similar name change made by Trump to the Gulf of Mexico, which Mexico has rejected.