Apple Renames Lake Ontario 'Lake America' on US Maps

Apple has changed the name of Lake Ontario to "Lake America" for users of its Maps application in the United States, following direct intervention by US President Donald Trump.

The change was introduced on Tuesday, coinciding with the appointment of John Ternus as Apple's new chief executive, succeeding Tim Cook.

Apple is now the second major US technology company to adopt the controversial name change. Google made a similar adjustment to Google Maps on Saturday, following an executive order issued by Trump.

The presidential order does not legally require private companies to alter the names used on their own mapping services. However, it changes the US Geographic Names Information System, the federal database used to standardise geographical names across the US government.

Technology companies, including Google and Apple, commonly refer to government geographic databases when developing their mapping products.

Trump's administration has nevertheless indicated that the president personally intervened with Apple over the issue.

US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told Fox News on Monday that Trump had "reached out to Apple directly" the previous week and asked the company to update the name of the lake on Apple Maps.

Apple has previously followed geographical naming changes promoted by Trump. Those include replacing "Gulf of Mexico" with "Gulf of America" and restoring the name "Mount McKinley" for Alaska's Denali.

It remains unclear whether Apple will adopt the same international approach as Google.

Google said on Saturday that its mapping services follow names contained in official government sources. As a result, people using Google Maps in the US see "Lake America", while users in Canada continue to see "Lake Ontario". Users elsewhere are shown both names.

Not every mapping company has accepted the change.

MapQuest, which was particularly popular during the 1990s and 2000s, appeared to reject Trump's decision in a post on social media, telling users they could "name it whatever you want at your leisure".

The dispute comes amid increasingly strained relations between the United States and Canada during Trump's second term.

Trade negotiations between the two countries recently broke down, with Washington imposing 50 percent tariffs on almost $20bn worth of Canadian goods. Canada has responded by announcing tariffs on US exports of an equivalent value.

Lake Ontario lies along the border between the two countries and is one of the five Great Lakes. Its name is derived from an Indigenous Wendat term.

Trump's push to rename the lake is part of a broader campaign to increase US influence and promote changes to official naming conventions. His administration has also moved to establish English as the official language of the United States.