Sikkim
The etymology of 'Sikkim' stems from the root word of the Limbu language 'Sukhim' which means a New or Happy Home. As of 2001, Sikkim is home to at least 600000 inhabitants and is the second least inhabitated state India. Sikkim is also well-known for its geographical features with more than 28 mountains, and other geographical features such as glaciers, lakes, rivers, streams and hot springs. For most of the year, the climate is cold and humid, and experiences heavy rainfall due to its close proximity to the Bay of Bengal, while also experiencing the five seasons. Seasonal temperatures can go as low as below 0 degrees celsius and may also rise above 32 degrees celsius. |
Sikkim is made up of tribal groups such as the Lepchas, Limbus, and Gurungs, amongst many others and has up to 11 official languages. Despite the multitude of communities, cultures, religions and customs, the people of Sikkim are able to coexist and live peacefully, with the state being heavily dependent of tourism as the main source of income. Interestingly, Sikkim is a non-smoking state, stemming from it's primary focus on the conservation of both nature and culture. Therefore, much of its trekking and homestay programs are founded on the basis of eco-tourism. Because of this, foreigners are requested to understand and observe this culture.
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Yuksam, where KCC is based in, is the first capital of Sikkim, and its name originates from “Meeting Place of the Three Learned Ones”. The modern history of Sikkim starts from here with the coronation of the first King of Sikkim, Phuntsok Namgyal in the year 1642. The coronation throne where the first King was coronated still stands over at Norbu Gang Chorten. Yuksam village (5840 ft.) lies in the western part of Sikkim and is the starting point for the various trekking trails which are located inside the Khangchendzonga National Park. The area from Yuksam to Mount Khangchendzonga (the third highest peak in the world!) is not only rich with bio-diversity but is also considered as a “sacred landscape”.
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Wild Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variety of all life forms, landscapes and ecological process linked to them. There is a huge repository of biodiversity housed in a small area in SIkkim, specifically the areas surrounding and including Khangchendzonga National Park, paradise for nature lovers. Khangchendzonga National Park lies in between the lowland of Yuksam (1780m) and Mt Khangchendzonga (8586 m) in the eastern Himalaya and spans varying ecological zones from temperate to arctic and visitors will be able to appreciate the diverse altitudinal variations in landscapes.
Biodiversity is the variety of all life forms, landscapes and ecological process linked to them. There is a huge repository of biodiversity housed in a small area in SIkkim, specifically the areas surrounding and including Khangchendzonga National Park, paradise for nature lovers. Khangchendzonga National Park lies in between the lowland of Yuksam (1780m) and Mt Khangchendzonga (8586 m) in the eastern Himalaya and spans varying ecological zones from temperate to arctic and visitors will be able to appreciate the diverse altitudinal variations in landscapes.
There are more than 4500 types of Flowering Plants, broken down into the following types of species, but not restricted to these numbers as more are still being discovered.
Orchids - 500+ types Rhododendrons - 37 Bamboos - 20 Ferns - 362 Tree Ferns - 9 Primulas - 30 Oaks - 11 On a geographical level, there are various features such as: Mountain Peaks - 28 Glaciers - 21 Lakes & Wetlands - 227 River and Streams - 104 |