Area of Sikkim: 7.096 sq km

Capital of Sikkim : Gangtok

Altitude of Sikkim: 5,840 ft

Languages Spoken in Sikkim: Nepali/ English/ Hindi/ Bhutia (Sikkimese)/ Bhutia (Tibetan)/ Lepcha/ Limboo.

Population of Sikkim : 406,457

Climate of Sikkim: Summer: Max. 20.7C Min. 13. 1C; Winter: Max. 14.9C Min. 7.7C.

Average Rainfall in Sikkim: 325 cm. RF / Year

Best Seasons in Sikkim: March - May & October - Mid December.

Brief History of Sikkim

Sikkim's history dates back to pre-historic times when it was inhabited by three tribes, the Naong, Chang and the Mon and later by the Lepcha. Around thirteenth century, the prince of Minyang dynasty in Tibet had a divine vision that he should travel to south and seek his fortune in Denzong, 'the valley of rice". The oldest son of Guru Tashi came to be known as Kheya Bhumsa and married the daughter of the Sakhya King. Kheya bhumsa later became the ruler of Sikkim.

Referring to the British rule in Sikkim, we must mention the Anglo-Sikkim's Treaty of 1861 which established Sikkim as the princely state under the British paramount. Sikkim became the 22nd state of the Indian Union on May 15, 1975.

How to Reach Sikkim

You can reach Sikkim by:

Air: 125 Km from Sikkim's we have Bagdogra Airport where several flights come from Delhi, Calcutta and Guwahati.

The Bagdogra airport is also connected to Gangtok by a helicopter service which takes approx. 30 minutes to reach Gangtok.

Rail: Siliguri (114 Km), New Jalpaiguri (125 Km) are the railheads nearest to Gangtok.

Road: Apart from private taxis and busses from Bagdogra, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, to Gangtok, Sikkim Nationalized Transport (SNT) runs special snow lion bus services from Bagdogra to Gangtok

With all these information on Sikkim, the tourists can plan their trip best suiting their necessities and requirements.

Get more tourist information on Sikkim and other places from www.touristplacesinindia.com