Coordinates (Gangtok): 27.33N 88.62ECoordinates: 27.33N 88.

62E Country Established Capital Largest city Districts Governor Chief Ministe r Legislature Total Area rank Total Rank Density Time zone ISO 3166 code HDI HDI rank Literacy Official languages India 16 May 1975 Gangtok Gangtok 4 Government Shriniwas Dadasaheb Patil Pawan Chamling (SDF) Unicameral (32 seats) Area 7,096 km2 (2,740 sq mi) 27th Population (2011) 607,688 28th 86/km2 (220/sq mi) IST (UTC+05:30) IN-SK 0.684 (medium) 7th (2005) 76.6% (7th) Nepali (lingua franca) Bhutia and Lepcha (since 1977) Limbu (since 1981) Newari, Gurung, Mangar,Sherpa and Tamang (sin ce 1995) Sunwar (since 1996) sikkim.gov.in

summer. 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 ranges from 6,100 metres (20,000 ft) in the north of the state [38] to 4,900 metres (16,100 ft) in the south. The tundra-type region in the north is snowbound for four months every year, and the temperature drops below 0 C (32 F) almost every [34] night. In north-western Sikkim, the peaks are [39] frozen year-round; because of the high altitude, temperatures in the mountains can drop to as low as 40 C (40 F) in winter. During the monsoon, heavy rains increase the risk of landslides. The record for the longest period of continuous rain in Sikkim is 11 days. Fog affects many parts of the state during winter and the monsoons, making [40] transportation perilous.

Flora and fauna Sikkim is situated in an ecological hotspot of the lower Himalayas, one of only three among theecoregions 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 species to temperate, alpine and tundra ones, and is perhaps one of the few regions to exhibit such a diversity within such a small area. Nearly 81 per cent of the area of Sikkim comes under the administration of its [51] forest department. The Rhododendron is the state tree of Sikkim. Sikkim is home to around 5,000 species of flowering plants, 515 rare orchids, 60 primulaspecies, 36 rhododendron species, 11 oak varieties, 23 bamboo varieties, 16 coniferspecies, 362 types of ferns and ferns allies, 8 tree ferns, and over 424 medicinal [52] plants. A variant of the Poinsettia, locally known as "Christmas Flower", can be found in abundance in the mountainous state. The Noble [citation needed] Dendrobium, an orchid, is the official flower of Sikkim, while the rhododendron is the state tree. Orchids, figs, laurel, bananas, sal trees and bamboo grow in the Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests of the lower altitudes of Sikkim. In the temperate elevations above 1,500 metres

Website

Climate The state has five seasons: winter, summer, spring, autumn, and a monsoon season between June and September. Sikkim's climate ranges from sub-tropical in the south to tundra in the north. Most of the inhabited regions of Sikkim experience a temperate climate, with temperatures seldom exceeding 28 C (82 F) in

(4,900 ft) there are Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests, where oaks, chestnuts,maples, birches, alders, and magnolias grow in large numbers, as well as Himalayan subtropical pine forests, dominated by Chir pine. Alpine-type vegetation is typically found between an altitude of 3,500 to 5,000 metres (11,500 to 16,000 ft). In lower elevations are found juniper, pine, firs, cypresses and rhododendrons from the Eastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests. Higher up are Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows, home to a broad variety of rhododendrons and wildflowers.

Gangtok was made India's twenty-second state capital. The precise meaning of the name Gangtok is unclear, though the most popular meaning is "hill top".[3] Today, Gangtok is a centre of Tibetan Buddhist culture and learning, with the presence of several monasteries, religious educational institutions, and centres for Tibetology.

Chief minister
Pawan Chamling : A Politician, social Worker, Poet and a writer was Born on September 22,1950 at Yangang South Sikkim. He joined politics in 1973 and was elected to Sikkim Legislative assembly in 1985. He was Minister for Industries, Information and Public Relations from 1989 to 1992. He formed the Sikkim Democratic Front party on March 4, 1993 and has been Chief Minister of Sikkim for the four consecutive term.

Are Populat Co Distri Headquar a ion de ct ters [1] (km (2011) )

Densi ty Map (/km )

Capital
Gangtok (Nepali: ) ( /tk/ (helpinfo)) is the capital and largest town of the Indian state of Sikkim. Gangtok is located in the eastern Himalayan range, at an altitude of 5,800 feet (1,800 m). The town's population of 98,658 belongs to different ethnicities such as Nepalis, Lepchas and Bhutia, is administered by the "Gangtok Municipal Corporation".[citation needed] Nestled within higher peaks of the Himalaya and enjoying a year-round mild temperate climate, Gangtok is at the centre of Sikkim's tourism industry. Gangtok rose to prominence as a popular Buddhist pilgrimage site after the construction of the Enchey Monastery in 1840. In 1894, the ruling Sikkimese Chogyal, Thutob Namgyal, transferred the capital to Gangtok. In the early 20th century, Gangtok became a major stopover on the trade route between Lhasa in Tibet and cities such as Kolkata (then Calcutta) in British India. After India won its independence from Britain in 1947, Sikkim chose to remain an independent monarchy, with Gangtok as its capital. In 1975, after the integration with the union of India,

East ES Sikki Gangtok m

281,293 954 257

Nort h Mangan, 4,2 NS 43,354 10 Sikki India 26 m

Sout h SS Namchi Sikki m

146,742 750 175

West WS Sikki Geyzing m

136,299

1,1 106 66