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West Sikkim district
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West Sikkim | |
|---|---|
 Rabdentse Palace | |
 West Sikkim's location in Sikkim | |
| Coordinates: 27°17′N 88°15′E / 27.283°N 88.250°ECoordinates: 27°17′N 88°15′E / 27.283°N 88.250°E | |
| Country |  India |
| State |  Sikkim |
| Headquarters | Geyzing |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,166 km2 (450 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 136,435 |
| • Density | 120/km2 (300/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+05:30 (IST) |
| ISO 3166 code | IN-SK |
| Vehicle registration | SK-02, SK-06 |
| Website | westsikkim |
West Sikkim (now officially named as Geyzing District)[1] is a district of the Indian state of Sikkim. Its headquarter is Geyzing, also known as Gyalshing. The district is a favourite with trekkers due to the high elevations. Other important towns include Pelling and Yuksom. Local people also call it as Pallo-Sikkim and Sano-Sikkim commonly.
History[edit]
West Sikkim is the site of the ancient state capital Yuksom. West Sikkim It served as Sikkim's capital beginning in 1642 for almost 50 years until it was shifted to Rabdentse. The district was under the occupation of the Nepalese for 30 years in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. After Anglo-Nepalese War (1814–16), the district was returned to Sikkim.
Geography[edit]
West Sikkim covers an area of 1,166 square kilometres (450 sq mi). Attractions include the Khecheopalri Lake, where, according to legend, not a leaf is allowed to fall on the surface of the lake and the Dubdi Monastery, the first monastery of the state.
Assembly Constituencies[edit]
The district was previously divided into 8 assembly constituencies.
- Yoksam-Tashiding (BL)
- Yangthang
- Maneybung-Dentam
- Gyalshing-Barnyak
- Rinchenpong (BL)
- Daramdin (BL)
- Soreng-Chakung
- Salghari-Zoom (SC)
National protected area[edit]
Economy[edit]
The economy is mainly agrarian, despite most of the land being unfit for cultivation owing to the precipitous and rocky slopes.
Transport[edit]
Roads are in poor condition owing to the frequent landslides.
Demographics[edit]
According to the 2011 census West Sikkim district has a population of 136,435,[2] roughly equal to the nation of Grenada.[3] This gives it a ranking of 608th in India (out of a total of 640).[2] The district has a population density of 117 inhabitants per square kilometre (300/sq mi) .[2] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 10.58%.[2] West Sikkim has a sex ratio of 941 females for every 1000 males,[2] and a literacy rate of 78.69%.[2]
The people are mainly of Limbu descent. Other ethnic groups include the Lepcha and Bhutia communities. Nepali is the most widely spoken language in the district.
Religion[edit]
Hinduism is followed by majority of the people in the West Sikkim district. Buddhism followed by a considerable population. [4]
The Kirateshwar Mahadev Temple, a major Hindu pilgrimage centre in Sikkim is situated in Legship in West Sikkim district. [5]
Languages[edit]
At the time of the 2011 Census of India, 58.14% of the population in the district spoke Nepali, 18.59% Limbu, 6.96% Lepcha, 4.95% Bhotia, 3.06% Sherpa, 2.04% Tamang, 1.75% Rai and 1.47% Hindi as their first language.[6]
Flora and fauna[edit]
West Sikkim houses a great diversity of flora and fauna, many of which are used by Indigenous and local communities.[7] Since most of the district is hilly it enjoys a temperate climate. Above 3,800 m (12,000 ft) the slopes are full of rhododendron forests.
In 1977 West Sikkim district became home to Khangchendzonga National Park, which has an area of 1,784 km2 (688.8 sq mi).[8] It shares the park with North Sikkim district.[9]
Divisions[edit]
Administrative divisions[edit]
West Sikkim is divided into two sub-divisions:[10]
Template:West Sikkim image map
| Name | Headquarters | Number of villages[11] | Location |
| Gyalshing | Gyalshing |  | |
| Soreng | Soreng |  |
References[edit]
- ↑ "thetelegraph.com".
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "District Census 2011". Census2011.co.in. 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
- ↑ US Directorate of Intelligence. "Country Comparison:Population". Retrieved 1 October 2011.
Grenada 108,419 July 2011 est.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "East Sikkim District Religion Census 2011".
- ↑ "Some of the Religious Places of Sikkim". Cultural Affairs & Heritage Department. Government of Sikkim. Archived from the original on 24 April 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
{{cite web}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch (help) - ↑ 2011 Census of India, Population By Mother Tongue
- ↑ O'Neill, Alexander; et al. (29 March 2017). "Integrating ethnobiological knowledge into biodiversity conservation in the Eastern Himalayas". Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 13 (21): 21. doi:10.1186/s13002-017-0148-9. PMC 5372287. PMID 28356115.
- ↑ O'Neill, Alexander (29 March 2017). "Sikkim claims India's first mixed-criteria UNESCO World Heritage Site" (PDF). Current Science. 112 (5): 893–994. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
- ↑ Indian Ministry of Forests and Environment. "Protected areas: Sikkim". Retrieved 25 September 2011.
- ↑ Sikkim Administrative Divisions (PDF) (Map). The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India, New Delhi, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
- ↑ "MDDS e-Governance Code (Sikkim Rural)" (PDF). Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
External links[edit]
Places adjacent to West Sikkim district | ||||||||||
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West Sikkim
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| Topics | |
| Administration | |
| Districts | |
| Towns | |
| Rivers | |
| Lakes | |
| Glaciers | |
| See also | |
