Lagos, a British colony, an island, and a town on the Guinea coast of Africa. The colony extends from 2° to 6° E. long., and comprises the islands of Lagos and Iddo (annexed in 1851), the districts of Palma and Leckie (1862), district of Badagry (1863), Katanu (1879), Appa (1883), and Malim, Ogbó, and Jakri (1885). Area of colony, 1071 sq. m. The inhabitants (85,607 in 1891) are mostly Negroes and two-thirds pagans, though Mohammedanism is making great headway. Average annual value of exports (palm oil, palm kernels, ivory, gum copal, cotton, and Guinea grains), £582,040; of imports (spirits, tobacco, cotton goods, and hardware), £466,370. Trade is carried on principally with
England and Germany, to a less extent with the United States, France, and Brazil. The island has an area of sq. m.; and at its western end stands the town, the principal commercial place on this part of the coast, and the only safe harbour for a distance of 1000 miles. Pop. 40,000. The bishop of the Niger territory resides here; but Lagos itself belongs to the diocese of Sierra Leone. Previous to the interference of the British Lagos was one of the chief entrepôts for the export of slaves. Created a separate government in 1863, the colony formed part of the West African Settlements (from 1866) and of the Gold Coast (from 1874) successively. In 1886 the present colony was constituted.