South Down is largely rural and covers an area from the mouth of Strangford Lough near the town of Downpatrick, along the coast including the holiday resort of Newcastle, the Mourne Mountains and then from Kilkeel to the Irish border, up Carlingford Lough to Warrenpoint and inland past the outskirts of Newry and Banbridge, returning north-east to include Ballynahinch.
The main industries in the constituency are tourism and agriculture. Sheep are reared in the hills and elsewhere beef, pork, cereals and potatoes are produced. There is a fishing industry based in Kilkeel, Annalong and Ardglass while forestry and mineral workings also provide some rural employment. Warrenpoint is an expanding port with a roll-on/roll-off freight terminal.
The Mourne Mountains and surrounding parts form an area of outstanding natural beauty. Above Newcastle is the highest peak of the Mournes, Slieve Donard, and inland are the forest parks of Castlewellan and Tollymore.
Eddie McGrady has held this seat for the SDLP since 1987. In that year he defeated Enoch Powell, who had been Ulster Unionist MP for the seat since 1974, after he left the Conservative Party, and whose agent was then a youthful Jeffrey Donaldson.