U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on August 27 in Hamilton, Ontario, renaming Lake Ontario—the smallest of the five Great Lakes—as Lake America, a move tied to escalating trade tensions with Canada.
The order applies to the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), which sets official naming standards for U.S. maps, but does not alter Canadian or international usage. The renaming follows Trump’s announcement on Thursday that the lake would be referred to as Lake America in official U.S. government communications.
U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Trump directly contacted Apple about updating the lake’s name on its mapping services. During an interview on Fox Business’ Mornings with Maria, Burgum stated, “The president reached out to Apple directly, so I’m sure that we may be seeing that change coming up soon to Lake America.” Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Google Maps has already implemented the change for U.S. users, according to a company statement. The move reflects broader trade friction between the U.S. and Canada, which has led to reciprocal tariffs on billions of dollars in goods. The executive order does not affect how the lake is named outside U.S. government systems or by Canadian authorities.
