Cuddalore is the 269th most populous city of India with a total population of 1,73,636. The highest employment in Cuddalore district is in Agriculture, Readymade garments, Minerals, Chemicals, Wooden furniture and other household industries. 60% of the workforce is employed in the Agricultural Sector, 37% in the Industrial Sector and the remaining 3% are Household workers. The major exportable items are Cashew Kernal, organic chemical and marine products. The district is drained by Gadilam and Ponnaiyar rivers in the north, Vellar and Kollidam River (Coleroon) in the south. The major crops grown in the district are Rice, Sorghum, Maize, Black Gram, Green Gram, Groundnut, Cotton and Sugarcane. Apart from this, certain horticultural crops like Cashewnuts, Brinjal, Chillies and Tapioca are also cultivated successfully. From ancient times the old town has been a seaport. For two centuries, Cuddalore had been subject to a number of foreign powers including the Netherlands, Portugal, France and more recently, the British. Some streets in Cuddalore retain their British names, such as Clive Street, Wellington Street, Sloper Street, Canning Street, Rope Street (Rope Street, Wellington Street, Sloper Street and Canning Street jointly known as Salangukara Village), Lawrence Road and Imperial Road. The Cuddalore Central Prison, opened in 1865, is a historically important landmark. Subramania Bharati and other political leaders served prison terms there.
