What is "sikkim"

Sikkim is a landlocked state of India, the last to give up its monarchy and fully integrate into India, in 1975. Located in the Himalayan mountains, the state is bordered by Nepal to the west, China's Tibet Autonomous Region to the north and east, and Bhutan to the east. The Indian state of West Bengal lies to the south.

With 607,688 inhabitants as of the 2011 census, Sikkim is the least populous state in India and the second-smallest state after Goa in total area, covering approximately . Sikkim is nonetheless geographically diverse due to its location in the Himalayas; the climate ranges from subtropical to high alpine, and Kangchenjunga, the world's third-highest peak, is located on Sikkim's border with Nepal. Sikkim is a popular tourist destination, owing to its culture, scenery and biodiversity. It also has the only open land border between India and China. Sikkim's capital and largest city is Gangtok. Almost 25% of the state is covered by the Khangchendzonga National Park.

According to legend, the Buddhist guru Padmasambhava visited Sikkim in the 8th century CE, introduced Buddhism and foretold the era of the Sikkimese monarchy. Sikkim's Namgyal dynasty was established in 1642. Over the next 150 years, the kingdom witnessed frequent raids and territorial losses to Nepalese invaders. In the 19th century, it allied itself with British India, eventually becoming a British protectorate. In 1975, a referendum abolished the Sikkimese monarchy, and the territory instead became part of India.

Sikkim has 11 official languages: Nepali (which is its lingua franca), Sikkimese, Hindi, Lepcha, Tamang, Limbu, Newari, Rai, Gurung, Magar, Sunwar and English. English is taught in schools and used in government documents. The predominant religions are Hinduism and Vajrayana Buddhism. Sikkim's economy is largely dependent on agriculture and tourism, and the state had the third-smallest GDP among Indian states, although it is also among the fastest-growing. In 2015, Sikkim fully implemented organic farming statewide, becoming India's first "organic state".

Sikkim Lok Sabha constituency is a Lok Sabha (lower house of the Indian parliament) constituency which covers the entire area of the state of Sikkim. Sikkim participated in its first general elections in 1977 after joining the Union in 1975. Its first member of parliament (MP) was Chatra Bahadur Chhetri of the Indian National Congress who was elected unopposed. In the next election in 1980, Pahal Man Subba of the Sikkim Janata Parishad party was elected. Subba was defeated in the 1984 election by independent politician, Nar Bahadur Bhandari. The next two elections in 1989 and 1991 were won by Sikkim Sangram Parishad candidates, Nandu Thapa and Dil Kumari Bhandari respectively. The constituency has been represented by a member of the Sikkim Democratic Front party since 1996. Bhim Prasad Dahal was the MP from 1996–2004. Nakul Das Rai won the seat in the 2004 election. The current MP is Prem Das Rai, who has represented the constituency since 2009.

Sikkim is a 1971 Indian documentary about the nation of Sikkim, directed by Satyajit Ray. The documentary was commissioned by the Chogyal (King) of Sikkim at a time when he felt the sovereignty of Sikkim was under threat from both China and India. Ray's documentary is about the sovereignty of Sikkim. The film was banned by the government of India, when Sikkim merged with India in 1975. In 2000, the copyright of the film was transferred to the Art and Culture Trust of Sikkim. The ban was finally lifted by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in September 2010. In November 2010 the director of the Kolkata film festival stated that upon screening the documentary for the first time, he received an injunction from the court of Sikkim again banning the film.

Sikkim is a state of India, encompassing a former kingdom.

Sikkim may also refer to:

• Kingdom of Sikkim, the independent kingdom, which became part of India in 1975
• Sikkim (film), a documentary film about the Kingdom of Sikkim, by Satyajit Ray
• Sikkim (Lok Sabha constituency), an electoral constituency coextensive with the state
• Sikkim football team, the association football team of the kingdom and the state