Google Maps Renames Lake Ontario 'Lake America' for US Users

Google Maps has started rolling out a change to how it labels Lake Ontario on its maps. According to Google, users in the United States will see the lake labeled as 'Lake America', while those in Canada will still see it referred to as 'Lake Ontario'. For everyone else around the world, both names will be displayed, with 'Ontario' taking priority.

The change follows a long-standing policy by Google Maps to use official government sources for labeling bodies of water. In this case, the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) made the switch, prompting Google to update its maps accordingly.

This is not the first time that Google has made such a change. Last year, it redesignated the Gulf of Mexico as the 'Gulf of America' for users in the United States after President Donald Trump signed an order making the change. Once again, Google used the GNIS's decision to guide its update.

Not all mapping programs are taking the same approach, however. MapQuest has stated that it will continue to label the lake as 'Lake Ontario' for everyone, regardless of location.