Google Maps renames Gulf of Mexico
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The gist
Google Maps renamed Lake Ontario to Lake America for U.S. users after Trump's order. The change follows its Gulf of Mexico rename, showing how tech firms handle political name changes.
Background
President Trump issued an executive order renaming Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' amid trade tensions with Canada. Google Maps updated its U.S. version to reflect the change, following its earlier renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to 'Gulf of America' after a similar order. The company cites its policy of updating names based on official government sources like the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
How it unfolded
- Jan 2025Trump signed an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico to 'Gulf of America'.
- Feb 2025Google Maps began showing 'Gulf of America' to U.S. users, 'Gulf of Mexico' to Mexico users, and both to others.
- Aug 27, 2026Trump announced the renaming of Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' in a video, crossing out the old name on a map.
- Aug 29, 2026A sign reading 'Lake Ontario, Now and Always' was photographed in Grimsby, Ontario, showing local opposition.
- Aug 30, 2026Google Maps started showing 'Lake America' to U.S. users, while Canadian users see 'Lake Ontario' and others see both names.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- White House Communications Director Steven Cheung celebrated the change on X, saying 'It's official! LAKE AMERICA on Google Maps.'
- Public
- A sign in Grimsby, Ontario, read 'Lake Ontario, Now and Always,' indicating local resistance to the renaming.
- Analysts
- The Conversation noted that the Gulf of Mexico is not within U.S. territorial waters, raising questions about the authority to rename it.
Still unverified
Mexico's government reportedly threatened to sue over the Gulf of Mexico renaming, but this is not confirmed.