Google changes name of Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' on US maps after Trump edict
Google said on Saturday that Americans would now see "Lake America" on their maps, while people in Canada will see "Lake Ontario"
Google has begun updating its maps to show 'Lake America' instead of 'Lake Ontario' after Donald Trump announced the name change last week in a swipe at Canada.
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The US President signed an executive order to change the name of the lake, which straddles the US-Canada border, on Thursday.
Google said on Saturday that Americans would now see "Lake America" on their maps, while people in Canada will see "Lake Ontario".
People outside of the US and Canada will see both names displayed on their map, with "Lake America" appearing in quotes.
"These updates follow our long-standing policy for bodies of water with names that vary from country to country, and are starting to roll out now," Google said.
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The President posted a TikTok on Wednesday in which he can be seen brandishing a map of Lake Ontario.
He states: “We’re gonna make a little change; we’re gonna call it something different than Lake Ontario.
“We’re gonna call it Lake America. And all it takes is a good pen and some intelligence.”
Trump, 80, takes a sharpie and crosses out Lake Ontario, scrawling in its place: 'Lake America'.
Canadian President Mark Carney rejected the name change, stating that things "things must be called by their name" and that the lake would be called Lake Ontario "today and forever".
The row over the name of the lake, between Ontario in Canada and New York state in the US, comes as trade tensions have ratcheted up between the two nations.
Last Saturday, Trump imposed 50 per cent tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods, with Canada's Prime Minister retaliating in kind by imposing up to 50 per cent tariffs on US imports.
Canada's counter-tariffs are set to take effect on US goods from September 8 and will impose duties of 15%, 25% and 50% across 700 products imported from south of the border, a government statement said.
Name changes in the US are overseen by The Board on Geographic Names, a government agency.
Even if the name-change is approved, other countries are not be required to recognise it.