A largely industrial constituency in north-east Wales, adjacent to Chester and Merseyside, and hit heavily by unemployment during the 1970s and 1980s (particularly following the closure of the Shotton Steelworks).
Now heavily dependent on the aerospace factory at Broughton. The refusal, in 2000, of First Secretary Rhodri Morgan to agree to a grant of £25m, so that the wings for the new superjumbo Airbus would be built at Broughton, led to criticism of the Assembly. Aid was later given.
In the 1997 devolution referendum, Flintshire had the third biggest percentage of No votes.
Four times Prime Minister William Gladstone lived in one of Hawarden's two castles. The town also has a boast as the birthplace of Liverpool striker, Michael Owen. The constituency has a Welsh-speaking population of 9.5%.
Alyn & Deeside has been held by former Shadow Welsh Secretary Barry Jones since its creation in 1983. It is part of Flintshire local authority, whose leader, Tom Middlehurst, was elected to the National Assembly in May 1999.
Mr Jones announced in February 2001 that he was standing down at the election.
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