Through the centuries, Cuddalore has been subject to a number of foreign powers including the Netherlands, Portugal, France and more recently, the British.

[citation needed] Cuddalore district is prone to natural calamities having experienced landfalls of major cyclones formed in the Bay of Bengal region.

Apart from the cyclones, 2004 Tsunami caused massive damages to life and property in Cuddalore and its adjacent Nagapattinam district.

Tsunami waves that followed the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake near Sumatra hit the eastern coast of India on 26 December 2004 at 08:32 am, resulting in 572 casualties.

Several fishing hamlets disappeared, while Silver Beach and the historically important Cuddalore Port were devastated.

The resumption of heavy rainfall from 1 December once again inundated the Cuddalore municipality and the district, displacing tens of thousands of people.

Despite the state government and individuals sending rescue teams and tonnes of relief materials to the district, thousands of those affected continued to lack basic supplies due to inadequate distribution efforts; this resulted in several relief lorries being stopped and looted by survivors.

[citation needed] In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Cuddalore one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640).

[citation needed] Municipal corporation Municipality Town Panchayat Taluks Revenue block Revenue division Cuddalore district consists of the following urban regions (cities): Important crops grown in the district include paddy, sugarcane, groundnut, cumbu, maize, cashew, pulses (Blackgram and Greengram), tapioca, jackfruit, guava and brinjal.