Of all the seats in Northern Ireland, this has one of the largest proportion of Catholic residents though it also includes part of the loyalist Shankill Road.
Many of Belfast's best known neighbourhoods are in this constituency. These include the republican strongholds of the Falls Road, Andersonstown, Ballymurphy, Springfield and Divis Flats.
There is a great deal of poverty, with over half the housing stock in the constituency coming from the public sector, and very high unemployment.
Although he has never taken his seat in the commons, Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams has won the Westminster election in the constituency on three occasions.
Firstly in 1983, when the nationalist vote split between Joe Hendron of the SDLP and outgoing MP Gerry Fitt, who stood as an Independent. He held the seat in 1987, but lost to Mr Hendron in 1992. However, in 1997, Mr Adams retook the seat with a much increased vote share, and a majority of nearly 8,000.
At the 1998 Assembly election, Sinn Féin again topped the poll, with both Mr Adams and Mr Hendron being elected here, as well as the health minister in the devolved Executive, Bairbre de Brun.