Show Notes
There is a large lake between New York State in the USA and the Canadian Province of Ontario. Do you know what it is called?
Lake Ontario is the name the lake has been known by for centuries. But if you look at an official map produced by the United States government, you may now see a different name: Lake America.
In August 2026, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the US government to use the name “Lake America” instead of “Lake Ontario.” This isn't the first geographical name Trump has changed. Earlier in his presidency, Trump ordered the US government to use “Gulf of America” instead of the traditional name “Gulf of Mexico” for the large body of water between the United States and Mexico.
Why does a president care so much about what we call a lake or a gulf?
In this episode, I want to explore the power of names. Why do governments rename places? Who has the authority to decide what a place should be called? And what happens when two countries use completely different names for the same place?
Let’s talk about this, while improving your English listening comprehension and learning some new vocabulary!
Conversation Club - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/patreon/conversation-clubs/
TRANSCRIPT - https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2026/10/26/411-why-is-trump-renaming-places-english-vocabulary-lesson/
AD Free Episode - https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish
Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/thinkinginenglish
YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@thinkinginenglishpodcast
INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/thinkinginenglishpodcast/
$10 Free Credits on iTalki (Affiliate Link) - https://www.italki.com/affshare?ref=af17506448
My Editing Software (50 % Discount Affiliate Link) - https://descript.cello.so/BgOK9XOfQdD
Borough by Blue Dot Sessions
Contact [email protected] to advertise on Thinking in English. Thinking in English is part of the Airwave Media podcast network.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from Thinking in English
Today, we're trying something a little different. This is a vocabulary-focused episode based on a recent news story, where we'll take one interesting event and use it to learn useful English words and expressions in context.
The United Nations has recently voted to adopt a new world map. The UN now supports the Equal Earth map which tries to represent the relative size of continents and countries more accurately.
Today, we’re going to talk about one of the most famous historical objects in the world: the Bayeux Tapestry.
British food has a bit of a reputation.
Where is the best place to study English? Is it better to move to Britain, the US, or another English-speaking country, or can you learn just as effectively at home? Does studying in person produce better results than studying online?