It includes the municipalities Alver, Austrheim, Fedje, Masfjorden, Modalen, Osterøy, and Vaksdal.

The highest peak in the district is in Modalen: the mountain Runderabben, reaching a height of 1,292 metres (4,239 ft) above sea level.

The main fjords in the district are the Hjeltefjorden in the outermost part and the Fensfjorden and Masfjorden in the north.

Manufacturing is the largest industry as a whole, but farming and fishing are most common in the more rural areas both inland and along the coast.

Considerable hydro-electric power is produced in the inner parts of the district, especially in Vaksdal, Modalen, and Masfjorden.