Donald Trump has turned his growing dispute with Canada into a battle over the name of a shared Great Lake.
On Thursday, Trump signed an executive order instructing the US federal government to use the name Lake America for Lake Ontario. The order covers the lake bordered by New York and the Canadian province of Ontario, making Lake America the official designation for federal use in the United States.
Trump said the change took effect immediately. However, the written order gives the Interior Department 30 days to complete the required administrative changes. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum must work with the US Board on Geographic Names to update the Geographic Names Information System. The order also directs federal agencies to replace Lake Ontario with Lake America on maps, contracts, documents and official communications.
The move does not mean the US can decide what Canada calls the lake. The US Geological Survey says the Board on Geographic Names standardises geographical names for the federal government. In Canada, the Ontario Geographic Names Board has the legal authority to recommend names for use on provincial government maps, publications and documents.
As a result, Lake America can become the US federal name while Canadian authorities continue to use Lake Ontario.
Private mapping companies are also not automatically required to follow the American order. US Geological Survey guidance says the federal government does not control the names used by outside organisations on non-federal maps. However, commercial companies have adopted federal changes before. After Trump ordered the Gulf of Mexico to be renamed the “Gulf of America” in 2025, the USGS said the new name also appeared on commercial platforms, including Google Maps and Apple Maps.
The Lake America decision comes amid a much…
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