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

Google Maps has made significant changes to its labeling of Lake Ontario, which is shared by Canada and the US. The company announced that for users in the US, the lake will be referred to as 'Lake America', while Canadians will continue to see it labeled as 'Lake Ontario'. Users in other parts of the world will see both names.

This change follows a formal renaming by the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and is in line with Google's policy for bodies of water with varying names across countries. However, not all tech companies are following suit. MapQuest stated that it won't be changing its label, saying 'Name it whatever you want at your leisure.'

The name change has sparked controversy, particularly among Democrats. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) plans to introduce the 'Hands Off Our Great Lakes Act' to reverse Trump's order renaming the lake. Canadian officials have also rejected the renaming, with Prime Minister Mark Carney saying Canadians will continue to call it Lake Ontario.