Sikkim

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 Chogyal monarchy until 1975, when a referendum to make it India's twenty-second state succeeded. 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. The Indian state of West Bengal borders Sikkim to its south. The official language is Nepali, and the predominant religions are Hinduism and Vajrayana Buddhism. Gangtok is the capital and largest town.

Demographics

A majority of Sikkim's residents are of Nepali ethnic origin, descendants of conquering Gorkhas who came to the province in the 12th century. The native Sikkimese, consisting of Bhutias, who migrated from the Kham district of Tibet in the 17th Century, the Lepchas, the state's original inhabitants who is believed to have migrated from the far east, and the Damais also represent a sizable portion of the population. Tibetans reside mostly in the northern and eastern reaches of the state. Immigrant resident communities not native to the state include the Marwaris, who own most of the shops in South Sikkim and Gangtok, the Biharis, most of whom are employed in blue collar jobs, and the Bengalis.

Related Topics:
Nepali - 12th century - Bhutia - Lepcha - Damai - Tibetan - Marwari - South Sikkim - Bihari - Blue collar - Bengali

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Hinduism and Buddhism are the religions professed by most Sikkimese. Sikkim also has a small Christian population, consisting mostly of people of Lepcha origin, converted to the faith after British missionaries started preaching in the region in the late 19th century. The state has never had inter-religious strife. Mosques in downtown Gangtok and Mangan also serve the minuscule Muslim population.

Related Topics:
Hinduism - Buddhism - Christian - British - 19th century - Mosque - Mangan - Muslim

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Nepali is the linqua franca of Sikkim. English and Hindi are also spoken and understood in most of Sikkim. Other cognate languages spoken in Sikkim include Bhutia, Lepcha, Limboo, Rai, Gurung, Tamang, Manger, Sunuwar, Newari

Related Topics:
Nepali - English - Hindi

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As India's least populous state, Sikkim has only 540,493 inhabitantshttp://www.censusindia.net/profiles/sik.html, with 288,217 males and 252,276 females. It is also the least densely populated state with only 76 persons per square kilometre. Its growth rate is 32.98% (1991-2001). The sex ratio is 875 females per 1000 males. With 50,000 inhabitants, Gangtok is the state's only significant town. The urban population in Sikkim is 11.06%.http://www.sikkimipr.org/GENERAL/STATS/sikkimataglance.htm The per capita income stands at Rs 11,356, which is one of the highest in the country.

Related Topics:
Sex ratio - Female - Males - Per capita income

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