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About
Sikkim
 Sikkim, tucked away in India's North-East corner, between
Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal is, without question, a very special
part of India beautiful, unspoilt, green, full of orchids,
mountains, butterflies and monasteries. SIKKIM, a small
Himalayan State which is the second smallest state of India,
lying between 27 to 28 degrees North latitude and 88 to 89
degrees East longitude is the second smallest state in India.
It is barely 7,096 sq. kms in size yet has an elevation
ranging from 300 mtrs. to 8585 mtrs. above sea level. It's
Geography is dominated by the most majestic mountain chain in
the world which includes the Khangchendzonga, world's third
highest mountain and is worshipped by the Sikkimese as the
guardian deity to their land.
Until 1975, Sikkim remained an independent kingdom, ruled
by the Chogyal, whose palace is tantalizingly hidden by trees,
and is inaccessible to the public. The Tsuk-La-Khang, or Royal
Chapel, is not always open to the public - it's better to go
and ask, for depending on the guard on duty, you may be able
to gain admission. Gangtok means, aptly enough "hill top" and
the little capital of Sikkim is perched at 5,500 feet, high on
the ridge of a valley.
AREA : Sikkim is
situated 7096 sq. kms. in the Eastern Himalayas, bordering the
Tibet autonomous region to it's North, Tibet and Western
Bhutan to it's East, Eastern Nepal to it's West and the
Darjeeling Gorkha Hills of West Bengal to it's South.
CAPITAL TOWN : Gangtok is elevated
at 5,840 feet above sea level.
DISTRICT HEADQUARTERS : North -
Mangan, South - Namchi, East - Gangtok, West - Gyalshing.
POPULATION - 5,40,493( Census
-2001)
 LANGUAGE SPOKEN : Nepali, English,
Hindi, Bhutia (Sikkimese), Bhutia (Tibetan), Lepcha, Limboo.
LITERACY RATES : 69.68%
CLIMATE Cold Winters in the month
of November to February with minimum temperatures dipping to 4
centigrade during January - February. It is between the month
of March and early May when sunshine is quite abundant. Though
summer is officially from May to October, Sikkim is almost
always wet due to the heavy monsoons, with rains at times
continuing for days on ends. Longest recorded nonstop rain is
11 days.
September to October is Autumn. A peculiar feature of
Sikkim weather is that though there is a classification of
sorts of the various seasons, actually experiences a cold
winter from end of November to February and monsoons
throughout the year with a little respite during May - June
and October - November. Even the winter months can be
irritatingly wet and damp with the unpredictable showers.
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