It is located on the west coast of the island of Sumatra, and lies immediately to the north and the east of the adjacent city of Bengkulu.

It was formed on 24 June 2008 by being split away from the neighbouring North Bengkulu Regency.

[1] the administrative centre is at the town of Karang Tinggi.

At the time of the 2010 census, the regency was divided into ten districts (kecamatan), but an eleventh district (Semidang Lagan) was added subsequently.

[1] The table includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of villages in each district (a total of 142 rural desa and a single urban kelurahan - the latter being the town of Taba Penanjung in the district of the same name), and its post code.