Comprising 11,000 hectares, it includes six planning areas and is also home to Singapore's Changi Airport and Paya Lebar Air Base.

Manufacturing makes up majority of the economical activity in the region, with industrial estates located in the planning areas of Bedok, Changi, Pasir Ris, Tampines and Paya Lebar.

IBM had also set up a S$90 million technology park along Tampines Industrial Avenue, to manufacture its System Z mainframes and high-end POWER systems for its clients across Asia.

Residents living within the area have access to different educational facilities ranging from preschools to primary and secondary schools as these are located around the different towns in the East region.

The area is also home to various tertiary institutions such as various ITEs, Polyechnics and Junior Colleges, including ITE College East, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Tampines Meridian Junior College, Temasek Junior College, Temasek Polytechnic and Victoria Junior College, 6 international schools namely, Global Indian International School (GIIS), East Coast Campus, NPS International School, Sekolah Indonesia Singapura, Overseas Family School and United World College of South East Asia (Tampines Campus) and a special needs school, Katong School (APSN).