Google Maps has begun displaying "Lake America" for Lake Ontario in the United States following the federal government's decision to rename the Great Lake.
The U.S. Geographic Names Information System, the federal government's official geographic names database, formally changed the name from "Lake Ontario" to "Lake America" on Aug. 29. Google said it is updating Maps to reflect the change.
The change means the name displayed on Google Maps will depend on where a user is located.
What will Google Maps show for Lake Ontario?
Google said Maps users in the United States will see "Lake America," while users in Canada will continue to see "Lake Ontario."
People viewing Google Maps outside the United States and Canada will see both names.
Google said the changes are beginning to roll out and follow
its existing policy for bodies of water that have different names in different countries.
Why is Lake Ontario now called Lake America?
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Aug. 27 directing the federal government to rename Lake Ontario as "Lake America."
The order directed the Interior Department and U.S. Board on Geographic Names to update federal records and geographic databases to reflect the new name.
The order applies to the U.S. government and does not require Canada or other countries to adopt "Lake America." Canadian officials have said they will continue to call the lake Lake Ontario.
What does the change mean for New York?
For New Yorkers, the most visible change will be the name displayed on Google Maps and other services that rely on U.S. government geographic data.
New York state and local governments are not required by Trump's order to change the name they use for the lake. Rochester City Council, for example, recently voted to continue using "Lake Ontario" in official local capacities.
Lake Ontario forms part of the international border between New York and Ontario, Canada, and remains the smallest of the five Great Lakes by surface area.
The lake covers about 7,340 square miles and has long been central to New York's shipping, tourism, recreation and communities along the shoreline.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Lake Ontario now called Lake America on Google Maps
