BaFe12O19 nanowire arrays having single magnetic domain size(<= 460 nm) in anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates were prepared by sol-gel and self-propagating high-temperature synthesis techniques. The diameter of the nanowire arrays is approximately 70 nm and the length is about 2-4 mu m. The specimens were characterized using X-ray diffraction, vibrating sample magnetometer, field emission scan electron microscope, atomic force microscopy and microwave vector network analyzer. The magnetic properties of BaFe12O19 nanowire arrays embedded in AAO templates were measured by VSM with a field up to 1274 KA/m at room temperature. The results indicate that the nanowire arrays exhibit large saturation magnetization and high coercivity in the range of 6000 Oe and an obvious magnetic anisotropy with the easy magnetizing axis along the length of the nanowire arrays, probably due to the shape anisotropy and magneto-crystalline anisotropy. Finally the microwave absorption properties of the nanowires were discussed. Crown Copyright (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.