This half of the city is the more industrial of the two, and contains the docks area which is important to the offshore oil industry. Shipbuilding has declined here, but there are a number of enterprise zones in Dundee East that have fostered a mixture of industries such as textiles, light engineering and carpet-making.
Dundee was once a Liberal seat - represented by Winston Churchill for 14 years until he was beaten by more than 10,000 votes by a prohibitionist in 1922. Dundee East has also been a nationalist seat with former SNP leader Gordon Wilson holding it from February 1974 until 1987 when John McAllion won it for Labour.
Mr McAllion has long been an advocate of devolution, resigning as Labour's Scottish constitutional spokesman in 1996 in protest at the decision to hold a referendum on devolution. Having won this seat in the Scottish Parliament, he is standing down at the general election to focus on his new role.