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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World

Donald Trump’s shallow renaming of the Great Lakes

Map of Lake Ontario
Has Donald Trump has ruined a Great Lakes acronym? Photograph: Anadolu/Getty

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)?
Owen Stewart
Gatley, Greater Manchester

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