Apple and Google Rename Lake Ontario 'Lake America' Following Trump Order

In response to an executive order from President Donald Trump, Apple Maps and Google have renamed Lake Ontario as 'Lake America' for US users. The change follows strained trade talks with Canada and the controversial renaming of the Gulf of Mexico. The article criticizes the move as cartographic chicanery and political overreach, noting that while Trump has authority over federal nomenclature, private companies are voluntarily complying. It contrasts this with historical name changes like Constantinople to Istanbul, Peking to Beijing, and Bombay to Mumbai, which required consensus. The piece also references the 1945 rebrand of Manhattan's Avenue of the Americas, which remains popularly known as 6th Avenue, and the renaming of Mount McKinley to Denali in 2015 under President Obama, only to be reverted by executive decree in 2025. The article highlights the summer novel 'Land' by Maggie O'Farrell, set in 1865 post-Irish potato famine, as a counterpoint to such short-termism, illustrating the political nature of maps and names. It argues that Lake Ontario's name predates both nations and carries deep cultural significance for Canadians, suggesting the renaming reveals desperation rather than strength. The piece concludes that the episode will fade, and the mapmakers who comply may face poetic justice.