Gilgit District is bounded by
Wakhan Corridor (
Afghanistan) in the north,
Xinjiang (
China) in the north / northeast,
Skardu District in the south / southeast. The town of
Gilgit is the capital of
Gilgit District.
The district includes Gilgit town, Naltar, Hunza, Gojal (Upper Hunza) and Shimshal. It also includes many small villages like Minapin, Hopar and Hispar etc. The highest peak in the district is Distaghil Sar (7,885m) which is the seventh highest peak in Pakistan and 19th highest on earth.
The Northern Areas 1998 census gave its population as 243,324.
The main rivers in the District are
