Yes. We had the same comments about Gulf of America.

Edit: I don't know that there's an actual database served up by the US Gov, but governments control the naming of these things within their own jurisdictions. All of the big mapping products have the ability to serve up different names based on where you're viewing from.

And Apple just renamed: https://apnews.com/article/apple-lake-ontario-america-google...

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TazeTSchnitzel 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/searc...

GNIS, Geographic Names Information System

(Which still shows Lake Ontario for me as I write this. The body of water along the US's southern coast is Gulf of America however.)

	▲	jonas21 4 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		The database entry was updated to "Lake America" on August 27: https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/searc... GNIS renders their own static map tiles, so it may take a while for the update to be reflected on the map itself.
	▲	michchinn 4 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		> Per Secretarial Order 3453, Lake Ontario has been renamed to Lake America. The basemaps for GNIS are in the process of being updated to reflect this name change. I see this on the top bar

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wbl 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

The government does not control the words you or I use to refer to things.

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j2kun 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

It would be nice if Maps would prefer data from government DBs that have localized versions of foreign place name data (e.g., Germany's BKG) when available.

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biophysboy 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

It makes perfect sense that govs control names within their jurisdiction - I am eyerolling at both the name change and the reaction.

I am curious though - is it convention to leave the data as is, or is it illegal to modify it?

Regardless, itll just be changed back in 2 years; as long as I can type "lake ontario" and get directed to Lake Ontario, I do not care at all what the gov database calls it currently.

	▲	sixothree 3 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		I wouldn't exactly describe one person as "the government".
	▲	watwut 3 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		> I am eyerolling at both the name change and the reaction. Why do you expect meek reaction in a rename like this? What is eye rolling over reacting to this particular rename?

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ericmay 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I too remember last year when everyone really cared about that and it was the end of the world and then we got on with our lives because at the end of the day it not only doesn't matter, the naming of these things is arbitrary, and anything that a president can change the name of a subsequent president can modify yet again.

What do they call the South China Sea, is it the East Sea or is it the West Philippine Sea? What do the French call the English Channel? Is it Le Manche d'anglaise?

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nancyminusone 4 hours ago | parent [-]

So unimportant that you just have to comment on how unimportant it is

	▲	ericmay 4 hours ago \| parent [-]
		It’s so unimportant folks are commenting on my comment about how unimportant it is!