Sikkim, the small but beautiful kingdom is situated in the eastern Himalayas. Sikkim is termed as the Switzerland of the east, a heavenly paradise on earth. It covers an area of 2818 square miles 7325 square kilometers. It is rectangular in shape with seventy miles in the north to south and forty east to west. Geographically it is 28 Degree 07' 48'' degree and 27 degree 04' 46'' north latitude, and 88 degree 00' 58' and 88 degree 55' 25'' east longitude. In the north it is bounded by Tibetan plateau to its east is Bhutan and Chumbi valley of Tibet and in the southern side is bounded by West Bengal India. There are two passes in the eastern boundary with Tibet Nathula pass (4700 metres) and Jelepla(4016 metres ). To the west lies Singalila range which forms the most important boundaries between Nepal and Sikkim with a pass named Chiwabhangjang (3400 metres). There are two important rivers In Sikkim Teesta which starts from Tashidrag Glacier in the north and Rangit which is a tributaries of Teesta river.

Capital : Gangtok
Area : 7300 Sq. Kms.
Population: 4,06457
Climate: Summer: Max. 20.7 C/Min. 13.1 C
Winter Max: 14.9 C/Min. 7.7 C
Best Season: Mid February: - late May / October - December
Minerals: Copper, Zinc, Lead, Pyrites, Limestone, and coal.
Agriculture Maize and Rice. Millet, Buckwheat, Barley, Pulses, are subsidiary crops.
Cash Crop: Cardamom, ginger, Apples, Oranges, Pine-apples
People three ethnic group, Lepchas, Bhutias and Nepalese.
Religion Mahayana Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and other religion are also practised.

Business and Economy
The main markets for shopping are Old market, New Market and Lal market. Here one finds shops of all kind which offer good range of items to be purchased. For a tourist there are many attractive items to be bought as carved furniture, the dresses, Lepcha weave bags, Carpets & Durries with intricate designs and colourful
decorations. One can also buy wooden and bamboo artifacts. For a collector of handmade decorative pieces Gangtok is a paradise.      
The items from Gangtok leave a long lasting impression on the mind of the visitor. The Hindi speaking Marwaris dominates many of the shops in the Gangtok market.

The handicraft and handloom directorate office and the showroom are on crossing of MG Marg and New market. The Gramin Vikas Agency showroom is also located here. In these showrooms you can buy carpets, masks, bright Choktse tables, Thangka hangings.Besides the places of interest, Sikkim also offers the added attraction of shopping.

Visas and Permit  
1.Passport valid for a minimum of six months beyond the date of intended departure from India should accompany visa applications.

2. Paste one photo and staple the other one on the form at specified place.

3.Foreigners holding other nationalities (other than the country where applying for visa), should submit proof of long-term (at least three years)/ permanent residence in the country (where applying). For citizen of other countries, a reference has to be made to their country of residence for which an additional fee is applicable and will involve extra processing time. Please refrain from making inquiries about the status of application during this time.