ABSTRACT
The State of Sikkim is in northern India, in the mountains above the Bengal plains. It juts northwards into Tibet (Xizang), part of the People’s Republic of China (with which there are international borders to the north and east), and separates Nepal (to the west) from Bhutan (with which there is a short border in the south-east of the state). Sikkim’s only border with the rest of India is in the south, with West Bengal. The former principality’s name probably derives from a Tsong word (sukhim) meaning ‘new home’ or ‘happy home’. Once a much larger realm, Sikkim’s decline forced it into dependence on British protection from the 19th century; India, as a successor state to the Empire, formalized Sikkim’s status as its own protectorate by treaty in 1950. Democratic politics and Indian intervention in the administration in 1974 led, the following year, to a referendum, the abolition of the monarchy and the accession of Sikkim as the 22nd state of the Indian Union on 15 May 1975. Sikkim became the smallest state in India (until Goa achieved statehood 12 years later), with an area of 7,096 sq km (2,739 sq miles).
