[10] The largest of these bodies are the Lagos and Lekki lagoons in the state's interior with the Ogun and Osun rivers flowing into them.

Many other rivers and creeks flow throughout the state and serve as vital means of transportation for people and goods.

On land, non-urbanized areas are within the tropical Nigerian lowland forests ecoregion with natural areas containing threatened populations of mona monkey, tree pangolin, and hooded vulture along with a transitory population of African bush elephants.

[11][12][13][14] Offshore, the state is also biodiverse as there are large fish populations along with African manatees and crocodiles.

As a result of migration since the nineteenth century, Lagos State also has large populations of non-native Nigerian ethnic groups with Edo, Fulani, Hausa, Igbo, Ijaw, Ibibio, Efik, and Nupe peoples among other Nigerian groups.

There are also groups from outside of Nigeria's modern borders with the Saro (Sierra Leonean) and Amaro (Brazilian) groups being descendants of formerly enslaved people who returned to Africa in the 1800s with a longstanding Middle Eastern Nigerian community (mainly Syrian and Lebanese Nigerians)[17] also forming a significant part of Lagos' population along with recent immigrants from Benin, China, Ghana, India, Togo, and the United Kingdom.

[18][19][20][21] Religiously, the state is also diverse, as there is a sizable number of Christian, Muslim and traditional ethnic religions.

[22] In the pre-colonial period, the area that is now Lagos State was mainly fishing villages[23][24][25][26] and ports that at various points were controlled by states including the Oyo Empire and Benin Kingdom until the early 1800s when the city of Lagos had developed into a major kingdom of its own right.

[29] Lagos State is also a key culture, education, and transportation hub for Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.

[30] Despite overcrowding and chronic debilitating traffic, Lagos State has the highest Human Development Index in Nigeria and numerous developmental projects.

[40] However, Ikeja, Agege, Mushin, Ikorodu, Epe, Surulere, and Badagry were administered by the then Western Region Government.

Ikeja is a planned residential and commercial town with shopping malls, pharmacies and government reserved areas.

Ikeja is also home to Fela Kuti's African Shrine,[46] Late Chief Gani Fawehinmi house and Lagbaja's Motherland.

Lekki currently houses several estates, gated residential developments, agricultural farmlands, areas allocated for a Free Trade Zone, an airport, and a sea port under construction.

The development will also have a positive environmental impact; its purpose is to stop the erosion of the Lagos coastline.

[53] The Eko Atlantic City project received global recognition in 2009, as the Lagos State government and its private sector partners on the Project, South Energyx, received the Clinton Global Initiative Commitment Certificate.

[57] The area is led by a traditional king, Akran De Wheno Aholu Menu – Toyi 1,[58] who is also the permanent vice-chairman of obas and chiefs in Lagos State.

[citation needed] Some campuses of popular higher education institutions in Lagos can be found within Epe.

[citation needed] Epe is also the birthplace of notable individuals such as former Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and Nigerian businessman Femi Otedola.

Lagos typically receives about 132.01 millimeters (5.2 inches) of precipitation and has 193.63 rainy days (53.05% of the time) annually.

It was built in 1978 and named after the former military head of state Late General Murtala Mohammed.

The current governor of Lagos State is Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who emerged victorious for a second term in office in the March 11, 2023 Governorship elections.

These lower-tier administrative units now number 56: Agbado/Oke-Odo, Agboyi/Ketu, Agege, Ajeromi, Alimosho, Apapa, Apapa-Iganmu, Ayobo/Ipaja, Badagry West, Badagry, Bariga, Coker Aguda, Egbe Idimu, Ejigbo, Epe, Eredo, Eti-Osa East, Eti Osa West, Iba, Isolo, Imota, Ikoyi, Ibeju, Ifako-Ijaiye, Ifelodun, Igando/Ikotun, Igbogbo/Bayeku, Ijede, Ikeja, Ikorodu North, Ikorodu West, Ikosi Ejinrin, Ikorodu, Ikorodu West, Iru/Victoria Island, Itire Ikate, Kosofe, Lagos Island West, Lagos Island East, Lagos Mainland, Lekki, Mosan/Okunola, Mushin, Odi Olowo/Ojuwoye, Ojo, Ojodu, Ojokoro, Olorunda, Onigbongbo, Oriade, Orile Agege, Oshodi, Oto-Awori, Shomolu, Surulere and Yaba.

[96] Lagos State has over 700 km of Atlantic sandy beaches with about 20 between the west of Badagry and east of Lekki.

They include: Giwa Gardens in the Sangotedo district is a water park that claims to be the largest in West Africa.

[128] The Alimosho and Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government areas are predominantly populated by the Egba and Egbado Yoruba people.

The indigenous people of the Ikorodu and Epe Divisions are mainly the Ijebu, with pockets of Eko-Awori settlers along the coastland and riverine areas.

343,675 Catholics (2021) in Archdiocese of Lagos (1860 as the Vicariate Apostolic of Dahomey) with 184 parishes under Archbishop Alfred Adewale Martins (2012).