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Lagos

City in NigeriaLagos lies on the Atlantic coast in the far south-west of Nigeria, not far from the border with Benin. The city spreads over islands and mainland around the mouth of the Lagos Lagoon.

What it's known for

Lagos is Nigeria's largest city, its leading port and the main financial centre of West and Central Africa. It is also the centre of Nigerian cinema, known as Nollywood, and of Afrobeats music.

Fun facts

  1. The name Lagos comes from the Portuguese word for 'lakes', while the city's Yoruba name is Èkó.
  2. The Third Mainland Bridge, about 11.8 km long, crosses the Lagos Lagoon to link Lagos Island with the mainland, and it was Africa's longest bridge until 1996.
  3. Lagos State, around the city, is the smallest of Nigeria's 36 states by area.

Finding it on the globe

Find where Nigeria's coast meets the border with Benin, then move a little east along the shore: Lagos is the big lagoon city about 85 km east of Porto-Novo.

Easy to mix up

Lagos was Nigeria's capital until 12 December 1991, when the seat of government moved to Abuja, about 530 km inland to the northeast.

Sources: Wikipedia: Lagos, Wikipedia: Third Mainland Bridge, Wikipedia: Lagos State