SIkkim is the 22nd state of India occupies a total area of 7096 sq km and lies between 27° 5' and 28° 10'N Latitude and 88° 4' and 88° 58' E Longitude. Mt. Kanchendjunga, the third highest mountain system in the world is located in Sikkim. Sikkim constitutes 0.22 percent of the total geographical area of India. It extends approximately 114 km from north south and 64 km from east to west with altitude ranging from 250 to 8598 m.
Sikkim was a sovereign kingdom, later became the 22nd state of India in 1975. Sikkim is India's smallest state in terms of population and second smallest in area after Goa. It is considered as the land of tranquility, peace and hidden paradise.
Sikkim comprise of beautiful valleys, historical sites, ages old religious shrines, where people share rich cultural and heritage. Sikkim is fast becoming the hot spot for both domestic and foreign tourists and it is also the most peaceful state in whole Indian Union. The Languages spoken are English, lepcha, Bhutia, Nepali and Hindi. The main source of revenue has been tourism, It shares its border with Bhutan to the east, Nepal to its west, Tibet (China) to the north and Indian mainlands to its south.
- Area : 7096 sq km.
- Cultivated area : 109068 hectares.
- Forest Area : 5841.40 sq km.
- Area under irrigation : 31,800 hectares.
- Population : 5,40,851
- Males : 2,88,484
- Females : 2,52,367
- Households (2001 Census) : 1,14,223
- Literacy : 68.8%
- Scheduled Castes: 27,165
- Scheduled Tribes : 1,11,405
- No. of Districts : 4
- No. of Sub-divisions : 9
- No. of Towns : 9
- No. of Villages/revenue blocks : 452
- No. of Assembly Constituencies : 32
- No. of Zilla/District Panchayats : 4
- No. of Territorial Constituencies of Zilla Panchayats : 100
- No. of Gram Panchayats : 166
- No. of Panchayat wards of the Gram Panchayats : 905
- No. of Zilla Panchayats Bhavans : 3
- No. of Gram Panchayat Bhavans : 112
- No. of Community Centers : 48
- No. of PHSC : 147
- No. of PHC : 24
- No. of Veterinary dispensaries : 25
- No. of AH stockman Centers : 66
- No. of ICDS Centers : 988
- No. of Primary Schools : 314
- No. of Jr. High School : 127
- No. of Secondary School : 80
- No. Senior Secondary School : 38
- No. of Colleges/Universities : 5
- No. of VLO centers (Land Revenue) : 42
- No. of Cooperatives (2003) : 515
- No. of bird species : 550
- No. of butterflies and moths : 650
- No. of mammals species : 144
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 meters (19,600 feet). 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.
