Kollam, the erstwhile Quilon, is India's largest processed cashew exporter and is veined by the Ashtamudi lake

Background

Kollam, earlier Quilon, covers 2491 sq. km and is flanked by the Arabian Sea on the west and Tamil Nadu on the east.
Its heartland is veined by the Ashtamudi lake, a massive multi-branched water body dotted with islands, and the Kollam canal cuts through the city.
The district has been the centre of the cashew industry in Kerala since the Portuguese in the 16th century and is still the largest processed cashew exporter in India.
Neendakara and Thangasseri are its two fishing harbours and ports.
The district has 11 constituencies and an annual rainfall of 270 cm.