Sikkim

For other uses, see Sikkim (disambiguation).

Sikkim
State
State of Sikkim
(from top, left to right) Buddha Park of Ravangla; Monks in a Monastery; Kangchenjunga; Gurudongmar Lake; Rumtek Monastery; Temi Tea Garden
Official emblem of Sikkim
Emblem of Sikkim
Etymology: New Palace
Nickname: 
"Valley of Rice"
Motto: 
Kham sum wangdu (Conqueror of the three worlds)
The map of India showing Sikkim
Location of Sikkim in India
Country India
RegionNortheast India
Before wasKingdom of Sikkim
Admission to union16 May 1975
Capital
and largest city		Gangtok
Districts6
Government
 • BodyGovernment of Sikkim
 • GovernorOm Prakash Mathur
 • Chief ministerPrem Singh Tamang (SKM)
State LegislatureUnicameral
 • AssemblySikkim Legislative Assembly (32 seats)
National ParliamentParliament of India
 • Rajya Sabha1 seat
 • Lok Sabha1 seat
High CourtSikkim High Court
Area
 • Total7,096 km2 (2,740 sq mi)
 • Rank27th
Dimensions
 • Length116 km (72 mi)
 • Width65 km (40 mi)
Elevation
1,650 m (5,410 ft)
Highest elevation
(Kangchenjunga[1])
8,586 m (28,169 ft)
Lowest elevation
(border with West Bengal[2])
280 m (920 ft)
Population
 (2011)[3]
 • TotalNeutral increase 610,577
 • Rank32nd
 • Density86/km2 (220/sq mi)
 • Urban
25.15%
 • Rural
74.85%
Language
 • Official
[4][5]
 • Additional official
GDP
 • Total (2023-24)Increase₹47,000 crore (US$6.0 billion)
 • Rank29th
 • Per capitaIncrease₹587,743 (US$7,000) (1st)
Time zoneUTC+05:30 (IST)
ISO 3166 codeIN-SK
Vehicle registrationSK
HDI (2019)Increase 0.764 Very High (10th)
Literacy (2011)Increase 81.42% (13th)
Sex ratio (2011)890♀/1000 ♂ (10th)
Websitewww.sikkim.gov.in
Symbols of Sikkim
Emblem of Sikkim
Foundation daySikkim Day
BirdBlood pheasant[6]
FishCopper Mahseer[7]
FlowerNoble dendrobium[8][9]
MammalRed panda
TreeRhododendron
State highway mark
State highway of Sikkim
SK SH1 - SK SH27
List of Indian state symbols

Sikkim (/ˈsɪkɪm/ SIK-im; Nepali: [ˈsikːim]) is a state in northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Koshi Province of Nepal in the west, and West Bengal in the south. Sikkim is also close to the Siliguri Corridor, which borders Bangladesh. Sikkim is the least populous and second-smallest among the Indian states. Situated in the Eastern Himalaya, Sikkim is notable for its biodiversity, including alpine and subtropical climates, as well as being a host to Kangchenjunga, the highest peak in India and third-highest on Earth.[10] Sikkim's capital and largest city is Gangtok. Almost 35% of the state is covered by Khangchendzonga National Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[11]

The Kingdom of Sikkim was founded by the Namgyal dynasty in the 17th century. It was ruled by Buddhist priest-kings known as the Chogyal. It became a princely state of the British Indian Empire in 1890. Following Indian independence, Sikkim continued its protectorate status with the Union of India after 1947 and the Republic of India after 1950. It enjoyed the highest literacy rate and per capita income among Himalayan states. In 1973, anti-royalist riots took place in front of the Chogyal's palace. In 1975, after the Indian Army took over the city of Gangtok, a referendum was held that led to the dissolution of the monarchy and Sikkim joining India as its 22nd state.[12]

Modern Sikkim is a multiethnic and multilingual Indian state. The official languages of the state are English, Nepali, Bhutia, and Lepcha.[4] Additional official languages include Gurung, Limbu, Magar, Mukhia, Newari, Rai, Sherpa and Tamang for the purpose of preservation of culture and tradition in the state.[5] English is taught in schools and used in government documents. The predominant religion is Hinduism, with a significant Vajrayana Buddhist minority. Sikkim's economy is largely dependent on agriculture and tourism. As of 2019, the state had the fifth-smallest GDP among Indian states,[13] although it is also among the fastest-growing.[14][15]

  1. ^ "Kangchenjunga – Peakware World Mountain Encyclcopedia". 20 February 2009. Archived from the original on 20 February 2009. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  2. ^ "Sikkim Information". cus.ac.in. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Cens2011Up was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b "1977 Sikkim government gazette" (PDF). sikkim.gov.in. Governor of Sikkim. p. 188. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  5. ^ a b "50th Report of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India" (PDF). 16 July 2014. p. 109. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 January 2018. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  6. ^ Dhar, T.N.; Gupta, S.P. (1999). Tourism in Indian Himalaya. Lucknow, India: Indian Institute of Public Administration. p. 192. OCLC 42717797.
  7. ^ "Sikkim declares 'Katley' as State fish". 19 September 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  8. ^ "States and Union Territories Symbols". knowindia.gov.in. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
  9. ^ "Flora and Fauna". sikkimtourism.gov.in. Archived from the original on 17 April 2016. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
  10. ^ O'Neill, Alexander; et al. (25 February 2020). "Establishing Ecological Baselines Around a Temperate Himalayan Peatland". Wetlands Ecology & Management. 28 (2): 375–388. Bibcode:2020WetEM..28..375O. doi:10.1007/s11273-020-09710-7. S2CID 211081106.
  11. ^ O'Neill, Alexander (29 March 2017). "Sikkim claims India's first mixed-criteria UNESCO World Heritage Site" (PDF). Current Science. 112 (5): 893–994. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 March 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  12. ^ "Why is Sikkim's merger with India being questioned by China?". 11 July 2017. Archived from the original on 11 July 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  13. ^ "MOSPI GSDP". MOSPI.
  14. ^ "State-Wise GDP". Unidow.com. 2014. Archived from the original on 24 July 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  15. ^ Indian Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 September 2011.