Americas
Letters: Readers respond to the Trump administration’s decision to change Lake Ontario to ‘Lake America’
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US news — The Guardian
I think too much is being made of this ( Apple Maps renames Lake Ontario as ‘Lake America’ for US users after Trump order, 2 August ). It is common for geographical features straddling borders to receive different names in different jurisdictions.
Consider, for example, Lac Léman and the Bodensee, La Manche and Les Îles Malouines. Wales has only recently reclaimed Yr Wyddfa and Bannau Brycheiniog, and for a reminder and dramatisation of how renaming played out in Ireland, look no further than Brian Friel’s Translations. Perhaps we can look forward to Lake Cleveland (previously Erie) and Lake Trump (previously Superior)?
• Donald Trump’s renaming of Lake Ontario to Lake America ( Report, 27 August ) could be an ominous precedent for this country if Reform UK or Restore Britain come to power. In his dystopian vision of the future, the novelist Islwyn Ffowc Elis foresaw Wales being renamed Western England by the government in 2033.
• Most Americans will have learned the mnemonic HOMES for the Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior). With Donald Trump’s renaming, what will this be replaced by? SHAME, perhaps?
• A new name for America ( Letters, 30 August )? Trumpton, with its cast of characters including Musk, Musk, Altman and Thiel, Bezos, Zucky and Huang.
• How about South Canada? Or, alternatively, North Mexico?
• Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Consider, for example, Lac Léman and the Bodensee, La Manche and Les Îles Malouines. Wales has only recently reclaimed Yr Wyddfa and Bannau Brycheiniog, and for a reminder and dramatisation of how renaming played out in Ireland, look no further than Brian Friel’s Translations. Perhaps we can look forward to Lake Cleveland (previously Erie) and Lake Trump (previously Superior)?
This report is published with credit to The Guardian. Full available text from the wire is above. Read on The Guardian →
Source: The Guardian. Published 3 Sept 2026, 04:52 pm.
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