Google Maps Shows 'Lake America' for US Users After Trump Order

Google Maps has updated its platform for users in the United States, now displaying the name 'Lake America' instead of 'Lake Ontario.' The change follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on Thursday, which officially renamed the smallest of the five Great Lakes as part of an escalating trade conflict with Canada.

The president's directive applies to the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), the federal standard for official maps. It does not alter Canadian naming conventions or international usage. In a blog post on Saturday, Google explained that its maps reflect official government sources, meaning US users will see 'Lake America,' Canadian users will continue to see 'Lake Ontario,' and users elsewhere will see both names.

This is not the first such change. Google previously relabeled the Gulf of Mexico as the 'Gulf of America' following a similar executive order on Trump's first day in office.

The renaming has drawn sharp reactions from political leaders. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the change immediately. New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, stated that the state would not adopt the new name, while Vermont's Republican Governor Phil Scott called the decision 'petty and disappointing' on social media.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford unveiled a lakeside sign on Saturday reading 'Lake Ontario: Now and Always' in both English and French. 'President Trump can call it whatever he wants, but I can tell you, the rest of the world will always call it Lake Ontario,' Ford said.

Neither the White House nor the offices of Carney and Ford responded to requests for comment on Sunday regarding Google's decision.