The small and uninhabited island of Maolana is located near its southwestern side and Nusa Laut off its southeastern tip.

[5] Saparua was the location of Indonesian national hero, Pattimura's rebellion against Dutch forces in 1817.

It was also the birthplace of Gerrit Augustinus Siwabessy, a prominent politician who was Indonesia's Minister of Health during the 1960s and 1970s.

There are 17 administrative villages, listed below with their populations at the 2020 Census;[6] ten comprise the new district of East Saparua, while seven remain with the residual Saparua District in the west of the island.

The areas (in km2) and 2020 Census populations[7] of each of these, together with the official estimates as at mid 2023,[8][9] are as follows: