The district is well known for Pangkor Island, an attraction in Perak and the home of the Royal Malaysian Navy (TLDM), Lumut Naval Base and dockyard.

Prior to 1873, the district was called Dindings and was part of the Straits Settlements, then under the administration of Penang.

This agreement was signed to stop the bloodshed resulting from two major events: the power struggle among Perak royalty upon the death of Sultan Ali; and Chinese clan wars between Ghee Hin and Hai San to grab tin mining areas in late colonial Taiping.

[8] In 1935, Sultan Iskandar Alang successfully appealed to the British for the return of Dindings to Perak.

The Perak government united the former colony with Bruas and coastal areas to the south, forming the Dindings District.

[14] They are SJK (C) Chung Cheng,[15] Sitiawan in 1920; SMJK Nan Hwa[16] (which split into Sekolah Tinggi Nan Hwa, Ayer Tawar Road in 1984) in 1935; SJK (C) Ping Min,[17] Lumut in 1951; and SMJK Dindings,[18] Lumut in 1953.

The following year, the Manjung community established the Ong Seok Kim Memorial Education Fund in his honour.

The fund offers scholarships and loans to students in the Manjung District, irrespective of ethnicity.

Besides this, there are numerous clinics in the surrounding region such as in Sitiawan, Ayer Tawar, Pulau Pangkor, Pantai Remis, Beruas, Lekir.

Agriculture is the main economic sector, making up the majority of the population's employment.

In terms of growth of commercial sector, Manjung is the second fastest growing district in the state, with 5,947 developed units or 13.32%.

[22] Many of these businesses and industries are located along the roads connecting Sitiawan, Seri Manjung, Lumut and Ayer Tawar.

Industrial and commercial activities are also present in other smaller, neighboring towns such as Beruas, Pantai Remis, Pekan Gurney, Lekir and Changkat Kuring.

The island covers an area of 128.2 hectares (316.9 acres) located 400 m (1,300 ft) from the mainland's shoreline.

[citation needed] Other nearby beaches include Pasir Panjang, Tanjung Kepah and Teluk Senangin.