Trump signs executive order renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario to “Lake America” for official use in the United States. The decision comes amid a sharp escalation in Washington's trade conflict with Canada.

Trump signed the document on August 27 in the Oval Office. It provides for a name change in the US Geographic Names Information System. Behind the president during the signing was a map of the Great Lakes on which Lake Ontario was written in large letters as Lake America.

However, Washington's decision applies only within US jurisdiction. The US cannot oblige Canada to use the new name for its part of the lake or achieve automatic change of the international name of the body of water.

Trump linked renaming to conflict with Canada

Explaining the decision to journalists, Trump again criticized Canada for its stance in trade negotiations. According to him, the Canadian side is extremely difficult in negotiations and believes it has the right to special treatment from the US.

The president first publicly floated the renaming idea on August 25. At that time, he said the US was “seriously considering” naming the lake Lake America because Washington allegedly no longer expects to conduct a significant volume of trade with the Canadian province of Ontario.

The proposal came after the collapse of the latest round of trade negotiations between the US and Canada. The American administration imposed 50 percent tariffs on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods. In response, Ottawa announced its own tariffs on American imports, some of which are due to take effect on September 8.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford earlier reacted to Trump's initiative with irony. He said the American president could call the body of water whatever he wanted, but for Canadians it would remain Lake Ontario.

The lake is shared by the US and Canada

Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and simultaneously part of the border between the US and Canada. On the southern and eastern shores is the US state of New York, while the northern and western shores belong to the Canadian province of Ontario.

The name Ontario has Native American roots and was used long before the formation of the modern US and Canada.

Trump's new decision repeats the practice his administration has already applied to major geographic features. After returning to the White House, the president ordered the use of the name “Gulf of America” instead of Gulf of Mexico in the US, and to Mount Denali in Alaska he restored the name Mount McKinley.

In the case of Lake Ontario, the new American name is also not binding for Canada or international organizations. Thus, on Canadian maps and in official documents of the country the body of water will continue to be called Lake Ontario.

Based on materials from: Associated Press, Axios