Google Maps Reflects Trump's Lake Renaming Order for US Users

Google Maps has made significant changes to its naming conventions for U.S. users, reflecting President Donald Trump's executive order renaming 'Lake Ontario' to 'Lake America.' This decision is part of an escalating trade feud with Canada that has prompted the two countries to impose reciprocal tariffs on billions of dollars in goods.

The White House did not immediately comment on Google's decision, but Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul of New York have rejected the name change. Phil Scott, the Republican governor of neighboring Vermont, called Trump's decision 'petty and disappointing.'

In a statement, Google explained that it updates its maps to reflect name changes in official government sources, which is the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). This means that people using Google Maps in the U.S. will see 'Lake America,' while those in Canada will continue to see 'Lake Ontario.'

The change is not limited to 'Lake Ontario' as Google made a similar alteration last year, labeling the Gulf of Mexico as the 'Gulf of America.'