Pennsylvania state Representative David Maloney, a Republican, has urged President Donald Trump to change the name of Lake Erie to “Lake Pennsylvania.” Maloney plans to present a resolution to Trump, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and federal lawmakers to make this change. He believes the new name should reflect the lake’s importance to Pennsylvania’s identity and economy.
Maloney stated, “This is Pennsylvania’s only Great Lake. Its modern economy and identity are increasingly tied to the boaters, anglers, families, and tourists who come to enjoy it.” He noted that other regions like Ohio and New York have greater access to the Great Lakes, while Pennsylvania has only this single connection. “Pennsylvania has one. Let’s call it Lake Pennsylvania!” he added.
As per the Environmental Protection Agency, Lake Erie is the smallest and shallowest of the Great Lakes. Its watershed serves approximately 12 million people, with 10.5 million in the U.S. and 1.9 million in Canada.
This development comes after Trump issued an executive order last month that renamed Lake Ontario to “Lake America,” a change not acknowledged by Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney insisted on retaining the original name. Carney stated, “We know that America is changing. Their trading relationships, their foreign policies, their national monuments, their hydronyms. Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario — then, now and always.” This renaming is limited to U.S. federal acknowledgment, and other international bodies or Canadian authorities are not compelled to accept the change.
Despite this, both Apple Maps and Google Maps have updated their platforms to display “Lake America” for U.S. users following the executive order.
President Trump has also discussed the possibility of renaming other geographical features. He considered altering the names of New Mexico, the Pacific Ocean, and the Atlantic Ocean. Trump’s previous executive order renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America,” applicable solely within the U.S. federal jurisdiction.
Apple Maps and Google Maps have implemented changes according to these alterations, adapting to users’ locations.
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