Apple Maps has renamed "Lake Ontario" to "Lake America" for users in the United States following President Donald Trump's order, while Canadian users continue to see the original name amid a dispute between the two countries.
Apple has changed the name of Lake Ontario to "Lake America" on its Apple Maps website version for users in the U.S. after President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the renaming of the lake.
Apple's renaming took place on 1 September, following Alphabet, Google's parent company, which had earlier renamed Lake Ontario to "Lake America" on Google Maps for U.S. users.
Apple confirmed that users in the U.S. will see the name "Lake America" following the update in the U.S. government's Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
However, users in Canada will still see "Lake Ontario" as before, while users in other countries worldwide will see both names, following the same approach Apple used after the U.S. government renamed the "Gulf of Mexico" to the "Gulf of America."
This renaming reflects how major U.S. tech companies are increasingly involved in geopolitical disputes, as the Trump administration pressures firms to comply with executive orders despite non-acceptance from Canada and some international organizations.
Trump's order regarding Lake Ontario affects only naming within U.S. federal agencies and does not have authority over Canada, international organizations, or other entities on what to call the lake.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that most Americans disagreed with Trump's recent actions, including imposing tariffs on Canadian imports and the order to rename Lake Ontario to "Lake America."
Shortly after Trump signed the order, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, both stated they would not change the lake's name, which has a history exceeding 400 years; New York borders Lake Ontario.
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America, with about 52% of its surface area in Canada and the remainder in New York State, USA.
Since early 2025, Trump has also mentioned the idea of Canada joining as the 51st U.S. state multiple times, but Canadian leaders have rejected the notion as absurd.
Earlier in January 2025, Trump ordered renaming the "Gulf of Mexico" to the "Gulf of America," and both Google and Apple updated their map apps for U.S. users accordingly.
Source:channelnewsasia
Click to read news aboutinternational news