Lake Ontario:
The US President signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America”, citing its significance as a US asset and part of American heritage.
- Canada opposed the move, stating that the name Ontario has Indigenous Wendat origins and is over 400 years old, predating both the Canadian Confederation and the US Declaration of Independence.
- The new name is not binding on Canada or other countries as there is no single global authority for standardising geographical names.
- Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario) and lies between the Ontario province of Canada and New York State of the USA.
- It is the only Great Lake that does not border Michigan.
- Lake Ontario is the smallest of the five Great Lakes by surface area and forms the easternmost and final lake of the Great Lakes system.
- The Great Lakes system contains around 20% of the world’s surface freshwater, making it one of the largest freshwater ecosystems globally.
- Its waters flow into the Saint Lawrence River, which connects the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean, making it an important corridor for navigation, trade, and freshwater exchange.
- It is connected to Lake Erie through the Welland Canal and forms part of the Great Lakes–Saint Lawrence navigation system.
- The Niagara River is the principal source of water for Lake Ontario, contributing about 85% of its inflow.
- The lake supports diverse aquatic ecosystems, including species such as the Lake Sturgeon, which faces conservation challenges.
