Jamtara district, a part of the Santhal Pargana division is a district of Jharkhand state with its administrative headquaters located at Jamtara city. Earlier, it a part of the Dumka district but later it was carved out as a separate district on 1st April, 2001 by separating from the Dumka district and four blocks namely Kundhit, Nala, Jamtara and Narayanpur. At the very beginning it was a sub-division. In history of the district it is also mentioned that during the reign of Hetampur Raj and the Bardhaman Maharaja-Dhiraj it was a part of the Birbhum. At present there are only a few surviving former Raj families in the district. The culture and life styles of the natives of Jamtara and its nearby areas are so much influenced by the Rajas of Jamtara. The Zamindar family of Jamjuri had a great influence over the major portion of Kundahit and Fatehpur blocks. Several marvellous historical sites in the district are the evidences of its glorious past. Under Siddhu and Kanhu, during the period of Santal Insurrection (1854-55) the place had face a very tough time. Before the formation of Bihar, it was a part of Bengal. The natives of this area at that time speak Maithili, Bengali and Hindi whereas Santali is the language of tribals.

Amit Besra, a significant author and philanthropist from the Jamtara district has brought the place Jamtara to the world map. He became famous as the author of the bestselling novel namely It's Dying Time A Chilling Indian Thriller published in the year 2010 and Be The Change published in the year 2013. The two popular websites like www.thesanthalexpress.in and www.viewmoviesreview.in are owned by him.

Geographically, the district lies at 23°94'N latitude and 86°83'E longitude. The altitude in the district is 155 m. In the year 2021, there was a total 5.85% forest area of total geographical area. The district encompasses a geographical area of 1,811 sq kms. and it is bounded by Deogarh district and Dumka district on the North, Dhanbad district on the South West, West Bengal on the South East and East and Dhanbad district on the West. The climate of the district remains extremely hot in the summers and fairly cold in the winters. Most of its rainfall occurs in the monsoon. The actual rainfall in the district was 1972.1 mm in the year of 2021-22.

Administration wise, the district is divided into 6 blocks namely Narayanpur, Karmatanr, Jamtara, Fatehpur, Nala and Kundhit. Moreover, it comprises 3 towns and 1,161 villages. The administrative language in the district is Hindi.

According to 2011 census the district has a population of 7,91,042 out of which 4,04,830 are males and 3,86,212 are females. The district has a sex ratio of 954 (females for every 1000 males). During the year 2001-2011 the population growth rate in the district was 402.89% including 404.08% were males and 401.65% were females. As per 2011 census the major religion in the district is Hindu and Muslim with 69.60% and 20.78% of the total population. The population density in the district is 437 (persons per sq. kms.). As per 2011 census the principal languages in the district are Hindi with 35.95%. In the year 2020 the number of live births in the district was 14,857 out of which 7,765 were males and 7,092 were females. In the same year the number of deaths in the district was 2,140 out of which 1,530 were males and 610 were females.

The economy of the district is mainly based on agricultural sector. Most of the population in the district are engaged in agriculture in order to earn their livelihood. The chief agricultural products in the district are paddy, wheat, maize, etc. Every year a huge chunk of revenue comes from the agricultural products in the district helps in its economy to a great extent. Industrially, also the district is quite well developed. Some of the prominent industrial products found in it are ferro alloys, iron, biscuits, soap, chocolate, tiles, etc. In 2006 the Indian government declared Jamtara as one of the country's 250 most backward districts and currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).

The district is well known as an abode of several reputed educational institution. It provides a platform for higher education. Some of its most recognised educational institutions are Kendriya Vidyalaya, Navodaya Vidyalaya, Jamtara College, Jamtara Women's College and many more. As per 2011 census the literacy rate in the district is 64.59% out of which 76.46% are males and 52.15% are females. The total number of literates in the district are 4,26,312 including 2,58,260 are males and 1,68,052 are females.

The district has several centres of attraction which allures many travellers from different parts of the country as well as world. Parwat Vihar Park, located at a distance of 5 kms from Jamtara Railway Station is one of the favourite places for tourists since it offers them a charming scene of sunrise and sunset. Jamtara is a perfect destination for adventure lover tourists. Karamdaha temple, situated 44 kms. away from Jamtara railway station is devoted to the Lord Dukhia Mahadev. Every year in the month of January from 14 to 27, a huge fair held at this place draws many visitors towards this place. Some other notable places of interest in the district are Chanchala Mandir, Devleshwar Dham, Singh Vahini Mandir, S.D.A. Mission Karmatar, Vivekanand Ashram, Hanuman Mandir and many more.