[6] Coimbatore was in the middle of the Roman trade route that extended from Muziris to Arikamedu in South India.

The Coimbatore region played a prominent role in the Second Poligar War (1801) when it was the area of operations of Dheeran Chinnamalai.

[13][14][15] The district experienced a textile boom in the early 19th century due to the decline of the cotton industry in Mumbai.

[citation needed] The region around Coimbatore was ruled by the Sangam Cheras dynasty and it served as the eastern entrance to the Palakkad Gap, the principal trade route between the west coast and Tamil Nadu.

[6] The Kosar people mentioned in the second century CE Tamil epic Silappathikaram and other poems in Sangam literature is associated with the area in and around the present-day Coimbatore district.

After the defeat of Tipu Sultan in the Anglo-Mysore Wars, the British East India Company annexed Coimbatore to the Madras Presidency in 1799.

The Coimbatore region played a prominent role in the Second Poligar War (1801) when it was the area of operations of Dheeran Chinnamalai.

[25][26] The city sits amidst Noyyal's basin area and has an extensive tank system fed by the river and rainwater.

[27] The eight major tanks/wetland areas of Coimbatore are Singanallur, Kallimadai, Valankulam, Ukkadam Periyakulam, Selvampathy, Narasampathi, Krishnampathi, Selvachinthamani, and Kumaraswami tanks.

[31] The Anamalai Wildlife Sanctuary 88 km (55 mi) in the Western Ghats at an altitude of 1,400 meters covers an area of 958 km2.

To the west is the Palghat Gap, the only major pass in the long stretch of the ghats abutting Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

The Palghat Gap, connecting Coimbatore city and Palakkad, serves as an important transit link for both the states.

The rest of the district lies in the rain shadow region of the Western Ghats and experiences salubrious climate most parts of the year.

Train service in Coimbatore district started in 1863, upon construction of the Podanur – Madras line connecting Kerala and the west coast with the rest of India.

The other stations include Peelamedu, Singanallur, Irugur, Perianaikanpalayam, Madukkarai, Somanur, Kinathukadavu and Sulur Road.

Buses also connect the district with all major towns in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh.

The park and sanctuary are the core of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and is under consideration by UNESCO as part of the Western Ghats World Heritage Site.

The animals in the park include tiger, leopard, sloth bear, elephant, Indian giant flying squirrel.

Coimbatore is called the "Manchester of South India" due to its extensive textile industry, fed by the surrounding cotton fields.

The Trade Fair complex, one of the country's largest, was built in six months, and is owned by CODISSIA (Coimbatore District Small Industries Association).

[52] The neighbouring city of Tirupur is home to some of Asia's largest garment manufacturing companies, exporting hosiery clothes worth more than ₹ 50,000 million.

[59] The district also has a number of tier-I, II and III suppliers catering to the needs of the entire gamut of the automobile industry, ranging from two-wheelers and four-wheelers to commercial vehicles and tractors.

The large scale flour mills, which cater to all the southern states, have a combined grinding capacity of more than 50,000 MT per month.

[citation needed] Four major English newspapers The Hindu,The Times of India, Deccan Chronicle and The New Indian Express bring out editions from Coimbatore.

[80][81] All these private radio stations air exclusively Tamil based programs, including film music.

Till the 1990s the state owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) was the only telecommunication service provider.

[97] Christian missions date back to 1647 when permission was granted by the Nayak rulers to set up a small church in Karumathampatti 12 km (7.5 mi).

Apart from this Coimbatore has a very active street food culture, thanks to the migratory North Indian population that settled down here a few generation ago.

Ariseemparuppu or arisi paruppu satham (literally translated as Rice and dal) originated from Coimbatore and the people of the city celebrate January 8 as national Aruseemparuppu day, after given light by a popular influencer and food consultant.

[103][104] District is also home to renowned multi-campus, multi-disciplinary private Deemed university, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham.