Google had to do that specifically, iirc, since Apple doesn't like other browsers.
It's also worth pointing out that Chrome on your iPad is just Mobile Safari (the slower version for 3rd party apps) with a Chrome skin/UI on top of it. It's not the real Chrome/Blink engine used on Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, etc, which would be faster.
Apologies for communicating my thoughts poorly. I was confident that the integration was intentional.
I had intended the trivia about gmail:chrome integration as a way to illustrate the parent's opinion that Apple controlling the user experience on the iPad is, ultimately, a moot point.
If Apple cannot prevent the distribution third party browsers (note: see caveat in comment above), and they cannot prevent other apps from invoking those third party browsers, then Apple cannot prevent a company with sufficient drive and resources from creating a self-reinforcing ecosystem on top of iOS. All they can do is raise the barrier to entry, to increase the likelihood that smaller players will build on top of the iOS ecosystem, rather than do an end-run around it.
Just in case there is any ambiguity, I am glad that Google is innovating (to the extent that they are permitted) on top of iOS. I tend to buy Apple gear because I think that Apple makes very good hardware, and I use OS X because it's a desktop-centric Unix that runs software from Adobe and Microsoft, and lets me watch videos from Netflix and Amazon.
As someone who has used Apple services since iTools debuted in 2000, I think that Apple's services (iCloud, iTunes, etc) are strictly "ehh." I'm glad to see the competition. If Safari usage numbers tank as a result, well, that's a solvable problem.
It's also worth pointing out that Chrome on your iPad is just Mobile Safari (the slower version for 3rd party apps) with a Chrome skin/UI on top of it. It's not the real Chrome/Blink engine used on Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, etc, which would be faster.