?Sikkim India
Gangtok
Coordinates: 27°20′N 88°37′E / 27.33, 88.62
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Area	7,096 km² (2,740 sq mi)
Capital	Gangtok
Largest city	Gangtok
District(s)	4
Population • Density	540,493 (28th) • 76.17/km² (197/sq mi)
Language(s)	Nepali
Chief Minister	Pawan Kumar Chamling
Governor	V. Rama Rao
Established	16 May 1975
Legislature (seats)	Unicameral (32)
ISO abbreviation	IN-SK
Website: sikkim.nic.in
Seal of Sikkim

Coordinates: 27°20′N 88°37′E / 27.33, 88.62 Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links India_Sikkim_locator_map. ... Image File history File links Locator_Dot. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... Location of Mirzapur and the 82. ... The geography of India is diverse, with landscape ranging from snow-capped mountain ranges to deserts, plains, rainforests, hills, and plateaus. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here areas between 1,000 km² and 10,000 km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... Andhra Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh Assam Bihar Chhattisgarh National Capital Territory of Delhi Goa Gujarat Haryana Himachal Pradesh Jammu and Kashmir Jharkhand Karnataka Kerala Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra Manipur Meghalaya Mizoram Nagaland Orissa Punjab Rajasthan Sikkim Tamil Nadu Tripura Uttarakhand Uttar Pradesh West Bengal Andaman and Nicobar Islands Chandigarh Dadra and Nagar... Gangtok   (Nepali/Hindi: गंगटोक) is the capital and largest town of the Indian state of Sikkim. ... Gangtok   (Nepali/Hindi: गंगटोक) is the capital and largest town of the Indian state of Sikkim. ... The divisions of a district. ... Population density per square kilometre by country, 2006 Population density map of the world in 1994. ... Andhra Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh Assam Bihar Chhattisgarh National Capital Territory of Delhi Goa Gujarat Haryana Himachal Pradesh Jammu and Kashmir Jharkhand Karnataka Kerala Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra Manipur Meghalaya Mizoram Nagaland Orissa Punjab Rajasthan Sikkim Tamil Nadu Tripura Uttarakhand Uttar Pradesh West Bengal Andaman and Nicobar Islands Chandigarh Dadra and Nagar... As a large and linguistically diverse country, India does not have a single official language. ... Nepali (Khaskura) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in Nepal, Bhutan, and some parts of India and Myanmar (Burma). ... Chief Ministers of Sikkim See Also Sikkim Chief Ministers of India Links Categories: India-related stubs | Sikkim | Indian politicians | Office-holders | Government of India ... Pawan Kumar Chamling (b. ... Governors of Sikkim See Also Sikkim Governors of India Links Categories: India-related stubs | Sikkim | Indian politicians | Office-holders | Government of India ... V Rama Rao (11 December 1935) is the governor of the Indian state of Sikkim. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... May 16 is the 136th day of the year (137th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Government of India (Hindi: भारत सरकार [1]Bhārat Sarkār), officially referred to as the Union Government, and commonly as Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of a federal union of 28 states and 7 union territories, collectively called the Republic of... Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or parliamentary chamber. ... ISO 3166-2 is the second part of the ISO 3166 standard. ... ISO 3166-2 for India (ISO 3166-1 : IN) The purpose of this family of standards is to establish a worldwide series of short abbreviations for places, for use on package labels, containers and such. ... Image File history File links Seal of the government of Sikkim, India File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

Sikkim (Nepali: सिक्किम (help· info), also Sikhim) is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas. It is the least populous state in India,^[1] and the second-smallest in area after Goa. The thumb-shaped state borders Nepal in the west, Chinese-administered Tibet to the north and east, and Bhutan in the southeast. The Indian state of West Bengal borders Sikkim to its south.^[2] The official languages are Hindi , Bhutia, Nepali, Lepcha, Limbu, and English. The language of almost all written transactions is English. The predominant religions are Hinduism and Vajrayana Buddhism. Gangtok is the capital and largest town.^[3] Nepali (Khaskura) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in Nepal, Bhutan, and some parts of India and Myanmar (Burma). ... Image File history File links Sikkim. ... A landlocked country is one that has no coastline. ... India is a federal republic comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. ... Perspective view of the Himalaya and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the Tibetan Plateau. ... For other uses, see Goa (disambiguation). ... The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) (Tibetan: བོད་རང་སྐྱོང་ལྗོངས་; Wylie: Bod-rang-skyong-ljongs; Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is a province-level autonomous region of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ... , West Bengal (Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ Poshchimbôŋgo) is a state in eastern India. ... Hindi ( , Devanagari: or , IAST: , IPA: ), an Indo-European language spoken all over India in varying degrees and extensively in northern and central India, is one of the two central official languages of India, the other being English. ... Sikkimese (also known as Bhutia) is a sublanguage of South Tibetan (Bhutanese-Sikkimese, Lhoke) language. ... Nepali (Khaskura) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in Nepal, Bhutan, and some parts of India and Myanmar (Burma). ... Lepcha (ISO/DIS 639-3: lep) is a language spoken by the Lepcha community in Sikkim in India, and parts of Nepal and Bhutan. ... Limbu (ISO/DIS 639-3: lif) is a Tibeto-Burman language (also called Yakthungpan, literally language of Limbus) spoken in parts of Sikkim in India and Nepal by the Limbu community. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Hinduism (known as in modern Indian languages[1]) is a religious tradition[2] that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... A mandala used in Vajrayana Buddhist practices. ... Gangtok   (Nepali/Hindi: गंगटोक) is the capital and largest town of the Indian state of Sikkim. ...

Despite its tiny size, Sikkim is geographically diverse, owing to its location on the Himalaya. The climate ranges from subtropical to high alpine. Kangchenjunga, the world's third highest peak, is located in the northwestern part of the state on the boundary with Nepal, and can be seen from most parts of the state.^[2] Sikkim is a popular tourist destination for its culture, scenic beauty and biodiversity. Subtropical (or semitropical) areas are those adjacent to the tropics, usually roughly defined as the ranges 23. ... For the climate of the mountains named the Alps, see climate) for a region above the tree-line. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ...

Origin of name

The most widely accepted origin of the name Sikkim is that it is a combination of two words in the Limbu Su, which means "new", and Khyim, which means "palace" or house, in reference to the palace built by the state's first ruler, Phuntsok Namgyal. The Tibetan name for Sikkim is 'Denjong, which means the "valley of rice".^[4] Limbu (ISO/DIS 639-3: lif) is a Tibeto-Burman language (also called Yakthungpan, literally language of Limbus) spoken in parts of Sikkim in India and Nepal by the Limbu community. ... The Tibetan language is spoken primarily by the Tibetan people who live across a wide area of eastern Central Asia bordering South Asia, as well as by large number of Tibetan refugees all over the world. ...

History

Main article: History of Sikkim

Statue of Guru Rinpoche, the patron saint of Sikkim. The statue in Namchi is the tallest statue of the saint in the world at 36 m.

The earliest recorded event related to Sikkim is the passage of the Buddhist saint Guru Rinpoche through the land in the 8th century. The Guru is reported to have blessed the land, introduced Buddhism to Sikkim, and foretold the era of monarchy in the state that would arrive centuries later. In the 14th century, according to legend, Khye Bumsa, a prince from the Minyak House in Kham in Eastern Tibet, had a divine revelation one night instructing him to travel south to seek his fortunes. His descendants were later to form the royal family of Sikkim. In 1642, the fifth-generation descendant of Khye Bumsa, Phuntsog Namgyal, was consecrated as the first Chogyal (king) of Sikkim by the three venerated Lamas who came from the north, west and south to Yuksom, marking the beginning of the monarchy. Statue of Guru Rinpoche, the patron saint of Sikkim in Namchi is the tallest statue of saint in the world. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Guru Rinpoche, the patron saint of Sikkim. ... Namchi is the capital of the South Sikkim district in the state of Sikkim, India. ... Guru Rinpoche, the patron saint of Sikkim. ... A silhouette of a Buddha statue at Ayutthaya, Thailand. ... Khye Bumsa was a 14th century prince from the Minyak House in Kham in Eastern Tibet. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Kham (Wylie transliteration: Khams, Tibetan: ཁམས, Simplified Chinese: 康, Pinyin: Kāng) province is one of several provinces comprising traditional Tibet (the others Amdo and Ü-Tsang). ... This article is about historical/cultural Tibet. ... Phuntsog Namgyal (1604–1670) was the first chogyal (monarch) of Sikkim, now an Indian state. ... The Chogyal were the monarchs of the former country of Sikkim. ... Yuksom is marked near the River Rangeet in western Sikkim. ...

Phuntsog Namgyal was succeeded in 1670 by his son, Tensung Namgyal, who moved the capital from Yuksom to Rabdentse. In 1700, Sikkim was invaded by the Bhutanese with the help of the half-sister of the Chogyal, who had been denied the throne. The Bhutanese were driven away by the Tibetans, who restored the throne to the Chogyal ten years later. Between 1717 and 1733, the kingdom faced many raids by the Nepalese in the west and Bhutanese in the east, culminating with the destruction of the capital Rabdentse by the Nepalese.^[5] Tensung Namgyal (1644-1700) was the second chogyal (monarch) of Sikkim. ... Rabdentse was the second capital of Sikkim. ...

Flag of the former monarchy of Sikkim.

In 1791, China sent troops to support Sikkim and defend Tibet against the Gurkhas. Following Nepal's subsequent defeat, the Qing Dynasty established control over Sikkim. Following the arrival of the British Raj in neighbouring India, Sikkim allied with them against their common enemy, Nepal. The Nepalese attacked Sikkim, overrunning most of the region including the Terai. This prompted the British East India Company to attack Nepal, resulting in the Gurkha War of 1814. Treaties signed between Sikkim and Nepal — the Sugauli Treaty — and Sikkim and British India — the Titalia Treaty — returned the territory annexed by the Nepalese to Sikkim in 1817. Ties between Sikkim and the British administrators of India grew sour, however, with the beginning of British taxation of the Morang region. In 1849 two British doctors, Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker and Dr. Archibald Campbell, the latter being in charge of relations between the British and Sikkim Government, ventured into the mountains of Sikkim unannounced and unauthorised. The doctors were detained by the Sikkim government, leading to a punitive British expedition against the Himalayan kingdom, after which the Darjeeling district and Morang were annexed to India in 1835. The invasion led to the chogyal's becoming a puppet king under the directive of the British governor.^[6] Image File history File links Sikkimflag. ... Image File history File links Sikkimflag. ... This article is about historical/cultural Tibet. ... Gurkha, also spelled as Gorkha, are people from Nepal and parts of North India, who take their name from the eighth century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath. ... Flag (1890-1912) Anthem Gong Jinou (1911) Territory of Qing China in 1892 Capital Shengjing (1636-1644) Beijing (1644-1912) Language(s) Chinese Manchu Mongolian Government Monarchy Emperor  - 1636-1643 Huang Taiji  - 1908-1912 Xuantong Emperor Prime Minister  - 1911 Yikuang  - 1911-1912 Yuan Shikai History  - Establishment of the Late... Anthem God Save The King The British Indian Empire, 1909 Capital Calcutta (until 1912), New Delhi (after 1912) Language(s) Hindustani, English and many others Government Monarchy Emperor of India  - 1858-1901 Victoria¹  - 1901-1910 Edward VII  - 1910-1936 George V  - 1936 Edward VIII  - 1936-1947 George VI Viceroy²  - 1858... The Terai, or Tarai (i. ... The British East India Company, sometimes referred to as John Company, was the first joint-stock company (the Dutch East India Company was the first to issue public stock). ... The Gurkha War (1814-1816), also known as the Anglo-Nepalese War, was fought between the British Empire and the Kingdom of Nepal. ... The Sugauli Treaty (also spelled Segowlee) was signed on December 2, 1815 and ratified by March 4, 1816, between the British East India Company and The Kingdom of Nepal, ending the second British invasion of the Himalayan kingdom during the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814–16). ... The Treaty of Titalia (1817) was signed between the chogyal (monarch) of Sikkim and the British East India Company. ... Morang is a district on the southern Tarai, or plains, of Eastern Nepal. ... Joseph Dalton Hooker Joseph Dalton Hooker Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, GCSI, OM, FRS, MD (June 30, 1817 – December 10, 1911) was an English botanist and traveller. ... For other people with the same name see Archibald Campbell Argyll. ... For other uses, see Darjeeling (disambiguation). ...

The Dro-dul Chorten Stupa is a famous stupa in Gangtok.

In 1947, a popular vote rejected Sikkim's joining the Indian Union and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru agreed to a special protectorate status for Sikkim. Sikkim was to be a suzerainty of India, in which India controlled its external affairs, defence, diplomacy and communication. A state council was established in 1955 to allow for constitutional government for the Chogyal. Meanwhile trouble was brewing in the state after the Sikkim National Congress demanded fresh elections and greater representation for the Nepalese. In 1973, riots in front of the palace led to a formal request for protection from India. The chogyal was proving to be extremely unpopular with the people. In 1975, the Kazi (Prime Minister) appealed to the Indian Parliament for representation and change of Sikkim's status to a state of India. In April, the Indian Army moved into Sikkim, seizing the city of Gangtok, disarming the Palace Guards. A referendum was held in which 97.5% of the people voted to join the Indian Union. A few weeks later on May 16, 1975, Sikkim officially became the 22nd state of the Indian Union, and the monarchy was abolished.^[5][7] In 2000, in a major embarrassment for China, the seventeenth Karmapa Urgyen Trinley Dorje, who had been proclaimed a Lama by China, made a dramatic escape from Tibet to the Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim. Chinese officials were in a quandary on this issue as any protests to India on the issue would mean an explicit endorsement of India's governance of Sikkim, which the Chinese still regarded as an independent state occupied by India. China eventually recognised Sikkim as an Indian state in 2003, which led to a thaw in Sino-Indian relations. In return, India announced its official recognition of Tibet as an integrated part of China. As part of a significant pact between India and China signed by the prime ministers of the two countries, Manmohan Singh and Wen Jiabao, China released an official map clearly showing Sikkim as part of the Republic of India.^[8] On July 6, 2006 the Himalayan pass of Nathula was opened to cross-border trade, a further evidence of improving sentiment over the region.^[9] Download high resolution version (500x746, 97 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (500x746, 97 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The Do-drul Chorten Dro-dul Chorten Stupa is a stupa in Gangtok in the Indian state of Sikkim. ... The Great Stupa at Sanchi. ... The Prime Minister of India is, in practice, the most powerful person in the Government of India. ... Jawaharlal Nehru (Hindi: , IPA: , from Persian Javâher-e Laal, meaning Red Jewel) (November 14, 1889 – May 27, 1964) was a political leader of the Indian National Congress, a pivotal figure in the Indian independence movement and the first Prime Minister of Independent India. ... This article is about states protected and/or dominated by a foreign power. ... Suzerainty refers to a situation in which a region or people is a tributary to a more powerful entity which allows the tributary some limited domestic autonomy but controls its foreign affairs. ... Year 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar). ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... Kazi may refer to: A Kazi or Qazi, an Islamic legal scholar and judge. ... The Parliament of India is bicameral. ... Elections Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita, originally a decree of the Concilium Plebis) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... May 16 is the 136th day of the year (137th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje (1924 - 1981) The Karmapa (officially His Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa) is the head of the Karma Kagyu, the largest sub-school of the Kagyupa (Tib. ... The Karmapa lineage is the most ancient tulku lineage in Tibetan Buddhism, pre-dating the Dalai Lama lineage by more than two centuries. ... Rumtek monastery Rumtek (Tibetan: རུམ་ཐེག་དགོན་པ་, Wylie: Rum-theg dGon-pa), also called the Dharmachakra Centre, is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery located in the Indian state of Sikkim near the capital Gangtok. ... Sino-Indian relations refers to the ties and relations between China and India. ... This article is about historical/cultural Tibet. ... This article is about the Prime Minister of India. ... Wen Jiabao (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Wen Chia-pao) (born September 1942) is the Premier of the State Council of the Peoples Republic of China. ... is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nathula Pass (also spelt Ntula, Natu La, Nathu la, or Natula) is a pass on the Indo-China border connecting the Indian state of Sikkim with South Tibet. ...

Geography

Himalayan peaks, Western Sikkim

The thumb-shaped state of Sikkim is characterised by wholly mountainous terrain. Almost the entire state is hilly, with the elevation ranging from 280 metres (920 feet) to 8,585 metres (28,000 feet). The summit of the Kanchenjunga is the highest point. For the most part, the land is unfit for agriculture because of the precipitous and rocky slopes. However, certain hill slopes have been converted into farm lands using terrace farming techniques. Numerous snow-fed streams in Sikkim have carved out river valleys in the west and south of the state. These streams combine into the Teesta and its tributary, the Rangeet. The Teesta, described as the "lifeline of Sikkim", flows through the state from north to south. About a third of the land is heavily forested. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1818x1204, 768 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Sikkim User:AmarChandra ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1818x1204, 768 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Sikkim User:AmarChandra ... Kanchenjunga (a number of alternative spellings are used Kangchenjunga which is the correct spelling, Kangchen Dzö-nga, Khangchendzonga, Kanchenjanga, Kachendzonga, or Kangchanfanga) is the third highest mountain in the world and the second highest in Nepal and the highest in India, located in the Taplejung district of Sikkim, straddling the... The Teesta River is one of the most scenic rivers in Eastern India. ... The Rangeet River is a tributary of the river Teesta, the largest river in the Indian state of Sikkim. ...

The Himalayan mountain range in North Sikkim.

The lofty Himalayan ranges surround the northern, eastern and western borders of Sikkim in a crescent. The populated areas lie in the southern reaches of the state, in the Lower Himalayas. The state has twenty-eight mountain peaks, twenty-one glaciers, 227 high-altitude lakes, including the Tsongmo Lake, Gurudongmar and Khecheopalri Lakes, five hot springs, and over 100 rivers and streams. Eight mountain passes connect the state to Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal.^[2] Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Perspective view of the Himalaya and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the Tibetan Plateau. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the geological formation. ... For other uses, see Lake (disambiguation). ... Tsongmo lake as seen from a height Tsongmo Lake (also called Changu Lake) is a large lake in East Sikkim district of the Indian state of Sikkim. ... Gurudongmar Lake Gurudongmar Lake (also known as Gurudogmar Lake) is one of the highest lakes in the world located at an altiude of 17,100 feet (5210 m). ... Khecheopalri lake in West Sikkim district of the Indian state of Sikkim is considered to be a holy lake both by the Buddhist and the Hindu population. ... Green Dragon Spring at Norris Geyser A hot spring is a place where warm or hot groundwater issues from the ground on a regular basis for at least a predictable part of the year, and is significantly above the ambient ground temperature (which is usually around 55~57°F or...

Cities and towns of Sikkim.

Towns of Sikkim, India Names in green are the district capitals. ... Towns of Sikkim, India Names in green are the district capitals. ...

Geology

The hills of Sikkim mainly consist of gneissose and half-schistose rocks, making their soil brown clay, and generally poor and shallow. The soil is coarse, with large amounts of iron oxide concentrations, ranging from neutral to acidic and has poor organic and mineral nutrients. This type of soil tends to support evergreen and deciduous forests. Gneiss Gneiss (IPA: ) is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from preexisting formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks. ... Schist The schists form a group of medium-grade metamorphic rocks, chiefly notable for the preponderance of lamellar minerals such as micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. ... Iron oxide pigment There are a number of iron oxides: Iron oxides Iron(II) oxide or ferrous oxide (FeO) The black-coloured powder in particular can cause explosions as it readily ignites. ... For alternative meanings see acid (disambiguation). ...

A large portion of the Sikkim territory is covered by the Precambrian rock and is much younger in age than the hills. The rock consists of phyllites and schists and therefore the slopes are highly susceptible to weathering and prone to erosion. This, combined with the intense rain, causes extensive soil erosion and heavy loss of soil nutrients through leaching. As a result, landslides are frequent, isolating the numerous small towns and villages from the major urban centres.^[2] The Precambrian (Pre-Cambrian) is an informal name for the eons of the geologic timescale that came before the current Phanerozoic eon. ... Phyllite Phyllite is a type of foliated metamorphic rock primarily composed of quartz, sericite mica, and chlorite; the rock represents a gradiation in the degree of metamorphism between slate and mica schist. ... Schist The schists form a group of medium-grade metamorphic rocks, chiefly notable for the preponderance of lamellar minerals such as micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. ... Weathering is the decomposing of rocks, soils and their minerals through direct contact with the air. ... For morphological image processing operations, see Erosion (morphology). ... Severe soil erosion in a wheat field near Washington State University, USA. Erosion is the displacement of solids (soil, mud, rock, and so forth) by the agents of wind, water, ice, or movement in response to gravity. ... Leaching is the process of extracting a substance from a solid by dissolving it in a liquid. ... Landslide of soil and regolith in Pakistan A landslide is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rock falls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows. ...

Hot Springs

Sikkim has many hot springs known for medicinal and therapeutic values. The most important hot springs are at Phurchachu(Reshi), Yumthang, Borang, Ralang, Taram-chu and Yumey Samdong. All these hot springs have high sulphur content and are located near river banks. The average temperature of the water in these hot springs is 50°C. Green Dragon Spring at Norris Geyser A hot spring is a place where warm or hot groundwater issues from the ground on a regular basis for at least a predictable part of the year, and is significantly above the ambient ground temperature (which is usually around 55~57°F or...

Climate

The climate ranges from sub-tropical in the south to tundra in the northern parts. Most of the inhabited regions of Sikkim, however, enjoy a temperate climate, with the temperatures seldom exceeding 28 °C (82 °F) in summer or dropping below 0 °C (32 °F) in winter. The state enjoys five seasons: winter, summer, spring, and autumn, and a monsoon season between June and September. The average annual temperature for most of Sikkim is around 18 °C (64 °F). Sikkim is one of the few states in India to receive regular snowfall. The snow line is around 6 000 metres (19,600 feet). Subtropical (or semitropical) areas are those adjacent to the tropics, usually roughly defined as the ranges 23. ... For other uses, see Tundra (disambiguation). ... For the usage in virology, see temperate (virology). ... Celsius is, or relates to, the Celsius temperature scale (previously known as the centigrade scale). ... For other uses, see Fahrenheit (disambiguation). ... Winter is one of the four seasons of temperate zones. ... For other uses, see Summer (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Spring. ... This article is about the temperate season. ... Bold text[[ // [[Image:Media:Example. ... Snow is a type of precipitation in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. ... The snow line is the point above which, or poleward of which, snow and ice cover the ground throughout the year. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ...

During the monsoon months, the state is lashed by heavy rains that increase the number of landslides. The state record for the longest period of non-stop rain is eleven days. In the northern region, because of high altitude, temperatures drop below −40 °C in winter. Fog also affects many parts of the state during winter and the monsoons, making transportation extremely perilous.^[2] Golden Gate Bridge in Fog Evening fog obscures Londons Tower Bridge from passers by. ...

Subdivisions

The four districts of Sikkim and their Headquarters

Sikkim has four districts, each overseen by a Central Government appointee, the district collector, who is in charge of the administration of the civilian areas of the districts. The Indian army has control of a large territory, as the state is a sensitive border area. Many areas are restricted and permits are needed to visit them. There are a total of eight towns and nine subdivisions in Sikkim. Districts of Sikkim. ... Districts of Sikkim. ... The District Collector is a Central Indian Government appointee who is in charge of the governance of a district in a state. ... This article is about the post-independence Indian Army. ... The Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order states that a Protected Area Permit (PAP) is required for non-Indians to visit certain areas in India. ...

The four districts are East Sikkim, West Sikkim, North Sikkim and South Sikkim. The district capitals are Gangtok, Geyzing, Mangan and Namchi respectively.^[3] These Four Districts are further divided into Subdivisions. "Pakyong" is the subdivision of East District. "Soreng" is the subdivision of West District. "Chungthang" is the subdivision of North District. "Ravongla" is the subdivision of South District.^[10] East Sikkim is one of the four administrative districts of the Indian state of Sikkim. ... West Sikkim is a district of the Indian state of Sikkim. ... North Sikkim is a district of the Indian state of Sikkim. ... South Sikkim is a district of the Indian state of Sikkim. ... Gyalshing or Geyzing is the capital of the district of West Sikkim in the Indian state of Sikkim. ... Mangan is the capital of the district of North Sikkim in the Indian state of Sikkim. ... Namchi is the capital of the South Sikkim district in the state of Sikkim, India. ...

Flora and fauna

The Rhododendron is the state tree.

Sikkim is situated in an ecological hotspot of the lower Himalayas, one of only three among the Ecoregions of India. The forested regions of the state exhibit a diverse range of fauna and flora. Owing to its altitudinal gradation, the state has a wide variety of plants, from tropical to temperate to alpine and tundra, and is perhaps one of the few regions to exhibit such a diversity within such a small area. Rhododendron from subsection arborea (my own photograph), taken at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in early Spring 2001, after a really hard frost. ... Rhododendron from subsection arborea (my own photograph), taken at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in early Spring 2001, after a really hard frost. ... A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region that is both a significant reservoir of biodiversity and is threatened with destruction. ... Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Andaman Islands rain forests (India) Brahmaputra Valley semi-evergreen forests (India) Chin Hills-Arakan Yoma montane forests (India, Myanmar) Eastern highlands moist deciduous forests (India) Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests (Bhutan, India, Nepal) Malabar Coast moist forests (India) Maldives-Lakshadweep-Chagos Archipelago tropical moist forests... Fauna is a collective term for animal life. ... In Botany a Flora (or Floræ) is a collective term for plant life and can also refer to a descriptive catalogue of the plants of any geographical area, geological period, etc. ...

The flora of Sikkim includes the rhododendron, the state tree, with a huge range of species occurring from subtropical to alpine regions. Orchids, figs, laurel, bananas, sal trees and bamboo in the lower altitudes of Sikkim, which enjoy a subtropical-type climate. In the temperate elevations above 1,500 metres, oaks, chestnuts, maples, birches, alders, and magnolias grow in large numbers. The alpine-type vegetation includes juniper, pine, firs, cypresses and rhododendrons, and is typically found between an altitude of 3,500 to 5 000 m. Sikkim boasts around 5,000 flowering plants, 515 rare orchids, 60 primula species, 36 rhododendron species, 11 oak varieties, 23 bamboo varieties, 16 conifer species, 362 types of ferns and ferns allies, 8 tree ferns, and over 424 medicinal plants. The orchid Dendrobium nobile is the official flower of Sikkim. Subgenera Azaleastrum Candidastrum Hymenanthes Mumeazalea Pentanthera (Azaleas) Rhododendron Therorhodion Tsutsusi (Azaleas) Vireya Source: RBG, Edinburgh Rhododendron po(from the Greek: rhodos, rose, and dendron, tree) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae. ... Orchid re-directs here; for alternate uses see Orchid (disambiguation) Genera Over 800 See List of Orchidaceae genera. ... Species About 800, including: Ficus altissima Ficus americana Ficus aurea Ficus benghalensis- Indian Banyan Ficus benjamina- Weeping Fig Ficus broadwayi Ficus carica- Common Fig Ficus citrifolia Ficus coronata Ficus drupacea Ficus elastica Ficus godeffroyi Ficus grenadensis Ficus hartii Ficus lyrata Ficus macbrideii Ficus macrophylla- Moreton Bay Fig Ficus microcarpa- Chinese... Genera Many; see text The Lauraceae or Laurel family comprises a group of flowering plants included in the order Laurales. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Binomial name Roth Sal (Shorea robusta) is a species of tree native to southern Asia, ranging south of the Himalaya, from Myanmar in the east to India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. ... For other uses, see Bamboo (disambiguation). ... Subtropical (or semitropical) areas are those adjacent to the tropics, usually roughly defined as the ranges 23. ... Species See List of Quercus species The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of several hundred species of trees and shrubs in the genus Quercus (from Latin oak tree), and some related genera, notably Cyclobalanopsis and Lithocarpus. ... Species Castanea alnifolia - Bush Chinkapin* Castanea crenata - Japanese Chestnut Castanea dentata - American Chestnut Castanea henryi - Henrys Chestnut Castanea mollissima - Chinese Chestnut Castanea ozarkensis - Ozark Chinkapin Castanea pumila - Allegheny Chinkapin Castanea sativa - Sweet Chestnut Castanea seguinii - Seguins Chestnut * treated as a synonym of by many authors Chestnut (Castanea), including... Distribution Species See List of Acer species Trees or shrubs in the genus Acer are commonly called Maples. ... Species Many species; see text and classification Birch is the name of any tree of the genus Betula, in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. ... Species About 20-30 species, see text. ... This article is about the plant. ... For the climate of the mountains named the Alps, see climate) for a region above the tree-line. ... Species Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. ... For other uses, see Pine (disambiguation). ... FIR may stand for: finite impulse response (a property of some digital filters) far infrared, i. ... Species See text. ... For the character from the Shuffle! series, see Primula (Shuffle!). Species many; see text A modern garden primula cultivar Primula farinosa flowers Primula hortensis Primula prolifera Primula sieboldii Primula veris Primula is a genus of 400-500 species of low-growing herbs in the family Primulaceae. ... Classes Psilotopsida Equisetopsida Marattiopsida Pteridopsida (Polypodiopsida) this dnt make sense A fern is any one of a group of about 20,000 species of plants classified in the phylum or division Pteridophyta, also known as Filicophyta. ... Tree Fern refers to any fern that grows with a trunk elevating the fronds above ground level. ...

The Himalayan Black Bear

The fauna includes the snow leopard, the musk deer, the Bhoral, the Himalayan Tahr, the red panda, the Himalayan marmot, the serow, the goral, the barking deer, the common langur, the Himalayan Black Bear, the clouded leopard, the Marbled Cat, the leopard cat, the wild dog, the Tibetan wolf, the hog badger, the binturong, the jungle cat and the civet cat. Among the animals more commonly found in the alpine zone are yaks, mainly reared for their milk, meat, and as a beast of burden. The Himalayan Black Bear is native to the Himalayan mountains. ... The Himalayan Black Bear is native to the Himalayan mountains. ... The Himalayan Black Bear pictured here in the Gangtok zoo. ... Binomial name Schreber, 1775 Range map Synonyms Panthera uncia The Snow Leopard (Uncia uncia[1] or Panthera uncia[3]), sometimes known as the Ounce, is a large cat native to the mountain ranges of central and southern Asia. ... The four species of musk deer make up the family Moschidae. ... Binomial name Bauhinia vahlii Wight & Arnott Bauhinia vahlii (Bhoral or Mehroin), is a species of tree found in Sikkim. ... Binomial name Hemitragus jemlahicus (H. Smith, 1826) Himalayan Tahr Young Himalayan Tahr The Himalayan Tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus) is a large ungulate and a close relative to the wild goat, with its habitat in the rugged wooded hills and mountain slopes of the Himalaya from northern India to Tibet, They spend... For the Canadian Superhero, see Decoder Ring Theatre Binomial name F. Cuvier, 1825 Red Panda range subspecies The Red Panda, Ailurus fulgens (shining cat, from a Latinized form of the Greek αίλουρος, ailouros, cat, and the participial form of the Latin fulgere, to shine) [1] is a mostly herbivorous mammal, slightly... Binomial name Marmota himalayana (Hodgson, 1841) Himalayan marmots are marmots found in the Himalayan regions ranging in elevation from 300 metres to 4,500 metres. ... Valentin Alexandrovich Serov (1865 - 1911) was a Russian painter. ... Species Nemorhaedus goral Nemorhaedus caudatus Nemorhaedus baileyi Nemorhaedus crispus Nemorhaedus swinhoei Nemorhaedus sumatraensis The genus Nemorhaedus includes six small species of ungulate with a goat-like or antelope-like appearance. ... Species 10 species, see text Muntjac are deer of the genus Muntiacus, also known as Barking Deer. ... The common langur are langurs found in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar (Burma). ... The Himalayan Black Bear pictured here in the Gangtok zoo. ... Binomial name (Griffith, 1821) Range map Synonyms Felis macrocelis Felis marmota The Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is a medium-sized cat, 55 to 110 cm (2 ft to 3 ft 6 in) long and weighing between 15 and 23 kg (33 to 50 lb). ... Binomial name Pardofelis marmorata Martin, 1837 The Marbled Cat (Pardofelis marmorata) is similar in size to the Domestic Cat, with a longer, more thickly furred tail, an indicator of an arboreal life-style, where the tail is used as a counterbalance. ... Binomial name Felis bengalensis (Kerr, 1792) The Leopard Cat (Felis bengalensis) is a small wild cat of Southeast Asia. ... Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a domestic subspecies of the wolf, a mammal of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Binomial name (Raffles, 1821) The Binturong (Arctictis binturong), also known as the Asian Bearcat, the Palawan Bearcat, or just simply the Bearcat, is neither a bear nor a cat but is a species of the family Viverridae, which includes the civets and genets. ... Binomial name Felis chaus Schreber, 1777 The Jungle Cat (Felis chaus), also called the Swamp Lynx (although not closely related to the lynxes), is a small cat with a rather short tail (length 70 cm, plus 30 cm tail). ... Subfamilies Cryptoproctinae Euplerinae Hemigalinae Paradoxurinae Viverrinae The 35 species of civet, genet and linsang make up the family Viverridae. ... For other uses, see Yak (disambiguation). ... A glass of cows milk. ...

The avifauna of Sikkim is comprised of the Impeyan pheasant, the crimson horned pheasant, the snow partridge, the snow cock, the lammergeyer and griffon vultures, as well as golden eagles, quail, plovers, woodcock, sandpipers, pigeons, Old World flycatchers, babblers and robins. A total of 550 species of birds have been recorded in Sikkim, some of which have been declared endangered.^[2] For other meanings of bird, see bird (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Lophophorus impejanus (Latham, 1790) The Himalayan Monal Lophophorus impejanus is a bird of genus Lophophorus of the Pheasant family, Phasianidae. ... Binomial name Tragopan satyra (Linnaeus, 1758) The Satyr Tragopan Tragopan satyra also known as the crimson horned pheasant is a pheasant found in the Himalayan reaches of India, Nepal and Bhutan. ... Binomial name Lerwa lerwa (Hodgson, 1833) The Snow Partridge Lerwa lerwa is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds. ... Species See text. ... Binomial name Gypaetus barbatus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Lammergeier or Bearded Vulture, Gypaetus barbatus is an Old World vulture, the only member of the genus Gypaetus (Storr, 1784). ... Binomial name Gyps fulvus Hablizl, 1783 The Griffon Vulture, Gyps fulvus is an Old World vulture in the family Accipitridae, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks. ... For other uses, see Golden Eagle (disambiguation). ... Genera Coturnix Anurophasis Perdicula Ophrysia † See also Pheasant, Partridge, Grouse Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds in the pheasant family Phasianidae, or in the family Odontophoridae. ... Genera Pluvialis Charadrius Thinornis Elseyornis Peltohyas Anarhynchus Phegornis Oreopholus Plovers are a widely distributed group of wading birds belonging to the subfamily Charadriinae. ... Species Eurasian Woodcock, Amami Woodcock, Bukidnon Woodcock, Dusky Woodcock, Sulawesi Woodcock, Moluccan Woodcock, American Woodcock, The woodcock are a group of seven very similar wading bird species in the genus Scolopax, characterised by a long slender bill and cryptic brown and blackish plumage. ... Families Charadridae Jacanidae Rostratulidae Ibidorhynchidae Recurvirostridae Haematopodidae Scolopacidae Dromadidae Burhinidae Glareolidae Thinocoridae Waders, called Shorebirds in North America (where wader is used to refer to long-legged wading birds such as storks and herons), are members of the order Charadriiformes, excluding the more marine web-footed seabird groups. ... Pigeon redirects here. ... Genera See text. ... Babbler can refer to bird species that belong to either of two unrelated families. ... The Siberian Tiger is a subspecies of tiger that are critically endangered. ...

Sikkim also has a rich diversity of arthropods, much of which remains unexplored even today. The best studied group remains, as with the rest of India, the butterflies. Of the approximately 1438^[11] butterfly species found in the Indian subcontinent, 695 have been recorded from Sikkim. These include the endangered Kaiser-i-hind, Yellow Gorgon and the Bhutan Glory amongst others.^[12]. Superfamilies and families Superfamily Hedyloidea: Hedylidae Superfamily Hesperioidea: Hesperiidae Superfamily Papilionoidea: Papilionidae Pieridae Nymphalidae Lycaenidae Riodinidae A butterfly is an insect of the order Lepidoptera. ... Map of South Asia (see note) This article deals with the geophysical region in Asia. ... Binomial name Hope, 1843 The Kaiser-i-Hind (Teinopalpus imperialis) is a rare species of swallowtail butterfly native to India. ... Binomial name Boisduval, 1836 Synonyms Papilio evan Doubleday, 1845 The Yellow Gorgon, Meandrusa payeni, is a species of swallowtail found in parts of South Asia and Southeast Asia. ... Binomial name Atkinson, 1873 Synonyms Armandia lidderdali The Bhutan Glory, Bhutanitis lidderdalii, is a species of butterfly found in Bhutan, parts of northeastern India and parts of Southeast Asia. ...

Economy

Macro-economic trend

This is a chart of trend of gross state domestic product of Sikkim at market prices estimated by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation with figures in millions of Indian Rupees.^[13]

Sikkim's gross state domestic product for 2004 is estimated at $478 million in current prices.

Sikkim's economy is largely agrarian, based on traditional farming methods, on terraced slopes. The rural populace grows crops such as cardamom, ginger, oranges, apples, tea and orchids.^[3] Rice is grown on terraced hillsides in the southern reaches. Sikkim has the highest production and largest cultivated area of cardamom in India. Because of the hilly terrain, and lack of reliable transportation infrastructure, there are no large-scale industries. Breweries, distilleries, tanning and watchmaking are the main industries. These are located in the southern reaches of the state, primarily in the towns of Melli and Jorethang. The state has an impre