Like many other Ugandan districts, it is named after its main municipal and administrative centre, Amolatar Town.
The administrative headquarters of the district at Amolatar, are located 85 kilometres (53 mi), by road, south of Lira, the largest city in the sub-region.
[1] This location lies about 185 kilometres (115 mi), by road, northeast of Kampala, the capital of Uganda and the largest city in that country.
The district covers an area of approximately 1,758 square kilometres (679 sq mi).
[3] Subsistence agriculture, animal husbandry and commercial fishing from area lakes constitute the economic engine of the district.