The regency was created on 25 February 2003 from the western districts of the former North Maluku Regency, and is now bounded by North Halmahera Regency to the north and east, while to the south it borders both East Halmahera Regency and that portion of the city of Tidore on the mainland of Halmahera.

It covers an area of 2,239.11 km2, and it had a population of 100,424 people at the 2010 Census[2] and 132,349 at the 2020 Census;[3] the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 137,543 (comprising 70,281 males and 67,262 females).

[1] The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of administrative villages (all classed as rural desa) in each district, and their postal codes.

The largest island is Nusa Kahatola, west of Kedi village.

(c) included in the figure for Loloda District, of which it was formerly a part.