It is a newly created district, having been split from Lohit district on 16 February 2004 under the Arunachal Pradesh Re-organization of Districts Amendment Bill. The district borders China on the north. Hawai, at an altitude of 1296 m above sea level, is the district headquarters, located on the banks of the Lohit River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra River. It is the easternmost district in India. The easternmost community in Anjaw is the village of Dong.
Anjaw is the second least populous district in India (out of 640)
