Northeastern India contains the state of Sikkim. It shares boundaries with West Bengal in the south, Bhutan in the east, Province No. 1 of Nepal in the west, and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast. The Siliguri Corridor, which borders Bangladesh, is very near to Sikkim. The second-smallest and least populous of all the Indian states is Sikkim. Sikkim, which is located in the Eastern Himalaya, is renowned for its biodiversity and home to the third-highest mountain on Earth, Kangchenjunga, as well as alpine and subtropical temperatures. Gangtok is the capital and largest city in Sikkim. Khangchendzonga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, occupies over 35% of the state. The Namgyal dynasty established the Kingdom of Sikkim in the 17th century. The Chogyal, who were Buddhist priest-kings, ruled over it. In 1890, British India's princely state was established there. Sikkim maintained its protectorate status with the Union of India after 1947 and the Republic of India after 1950 following the independence of India. Among Himalayan states, it had the greatest rates of literacy and per-capita wealth. Anti-royalist protests broke out in front of the palace of the Chogyal in 1973. A referendum was held in 1975, following the Indian Army's occupation of Gangtok, which resulted in the abolition of the monarchy and the addition of Sikkim as India's 22nd state. The modern Indian state of Sikkim is multiethnic and multilingual. The state's four official languages are English, Sikkimese, Nepali, and Lepcha. To preserve the state's culture and traditions, Gurung, Limbu, Magar, Mukhia, Newari, Rai, Sherpa, and Tamang are also recognized as official languages. Government documents are written in English, which is taught in schools. Hinduism and Vajrayana Buddhism are the two main faiths. Tourism and agriculture are the two main industries in Sikkim. Despite being one of the fastest-growing states in India as of 2019, the state had the fifth-smallest GDP. India, the second-largest producer of the spice in the world after Guatemala, produces the majority of its cardamom in Sikkim. Between 2003 and 2016, Sikkim accomplished its goal of converting its agriculture to 100% organic production, becoming the first state in India to do so. It is also one of India's greenest states, having outlawed polystyrene items and plastic water bottles "at all government functions and meetings" (throughout the state).
