Sikkim General Information

Sikkim, tucked away in India`s Northest corner, betwen Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal is, without question a very special part of India, beautiful, unspoilt, green, full of orchids, mountain, butterflies and monasteries, and home to some of the gentlest people you could wish to meet. It is an amazing place of hidden valleys, mystical monasteries, snow-fed lakes and a mountain setting covered with flowers and forests. It is crammed in between Tibet ( China ) to the north, Bhutan to the east and Darjeeling to the south. Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas. It is the least populous state in India, and the second-smallest in area after Goa. Sikkim was an independent state ruled by the Namgyal Chogyals (kings), but following administrative problems and the public's sentiment for union with India, a referendum was held in 1975 in which the people of Sikkim chose union with India. Also in 1975, the referendum brought about an end to the absolute monarchy and ushered in a democratic government within the Constitution of India. The thumb-shaped state borders Nepal in the west, The People's Republic of China to the north and east, and Bhutan in the south-east. Despite its small size, Sikkim is geographically diverse, owing to its location at the Himalayan foothills. Terrain ranges from tropical in the south to tundra in the north. The official language is Nepali, and the predominant religions are Hinduism and Vajrayana Buddhism. Gangtok is the capital and largest town.