It is located in the east of the autonomous oblast and borders Khabarovsk Krai (via the Tunguska River) in the north and east, China (via the Amur River) in the south, and Birobidzhansky District in the west.

The area of the district is 5,900 square kilometers (2,300 sq mi).

[2] Its administrative center is the urban locality (a settlement) of Smidovich.

The climate is suited to agriculture, supporting buckwheat, corn, wheat, and vegetables.

The Trans-Siberian Railway runs across northern length of the district, as does the Amur Highway (R297) from Chita to Khabarovsk.