A city built on water it keeps filling in

Start with geography

Islands, sandbars and a sheltered lagoon

The Nigerian coast here is a long sandbar with a shallow lagoon system behind it. That gives you two useful things at once: protected water where boats can move without facing Atlantic swell, and islands close to the open sea.

So the settlement grew on and around the islands. The Portuguese name that stuck — Lagos, 'lakes' — describes the water, not the town. The Yoruba name for the place is Eko. Which name you use is not a neutral choice; it tells you which history you are standing in.

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