In Brief
- Apple Maps has updated the label for Lake Ontario to "Lake America" for US-based users following an executive order from President Donald Trump.
- The change follows a similar update by Google Maps after the official US geographic database (GNIS) adopted the new name.
- The name update affects one of the five Great Lakes along the border between Canada and the United States.
Apple Maps has updated the label for Lake Ontario to "Lake America" for US-based users, aligning with a recent update made by Google Maps. The change comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to update official geographic databases following a breakdown in US–Canada trade negotiations.
Lake Ontario is one of North America's five Great Lakes, straddling the border between Canada and the United States. The name update has drawn significant attention due to its political and cultural implications for cross-border relations between the two nations.
Major tech companies implement these geographical updates based on local regulations and official naming databases such as the US Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). Under this localized approach, users within the US see "Lake America," users in Canada continue to see "Lake Ontario," and international users may see both.
