Apple Maps has joined Google Maps in making a major change for users in the United States. The tech giant now displays a new name for one of North America’s most famous Great Lakes. The update follows President Donald Trump’s recent executive order. However, users across the border will continue seeing the lake’s longtime name.
U.S. Apple Maps users now see ‘Lake America,’ while Canadian users continue to see Lake Ontario
Apple Maps changed Lake Ontario to “Lake America” for U.S. users on Sept. 1, Reuters reported. “Lake Ontario” remains on the platform for Canadian users. Apple followed Google Maps, which made a similar change earlier. The name change stems from Trump’s Aug. 27 executive order.
Trump’s order directs the U.S. government to rename the lake “Lake America.” The administration has also updated the name in the U.S. Geographic Names Information System. The order applies to U.S. government references and does not control Canada’s naming choices. Canada continues to officially call the body of water Lake Ontario.
Google stated that the Maps service adheres to the official government names of geographic locations. This means the name they see may vary based on their location. U.S. users see “Lake America,” while Canadian users see “Lake Ontario.” People in other countries can view both names.
MapQuest took a different approach and publicly refused to change the name. The company wrote, “We’re not changing it,” in a social media statement. Its decision reportedly boosted the app’s popularity and pushed it to the top of Apple’s U.S. App Store navigation rankings. Meanwhile, the name dispute continues as tensions between the United States and Canada remain high.
Trump defended the change after signing the executive order and criticized Canada over trade. “Canada has been ripping us off for a long time on trade,” he told reporters. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney disagreed and emphasized the Indigenous origins of the name. In an Aug. 27 post, he wrote that Ontari’io means “the lake is beautiful, the lake is big.”
Originally reported by Ayusi Adhikari on Mandatory
