Sikkim (also Sikhim) (Devanāgarī: सिक्किम) is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas. It is the least populous state in
India, and the second smallest in area after Goa. Sikkim was an independent state ruled by the Namgyal monarchy until 1975, when a referendum was held and the population voted to join India as its twenty-second
state. The thumb-shaped state borders Nepal in the west, Tibet (the People's Republic of China) to the north and east, and Bhutan in the south-east. The Indian state of West Bengal borders Sikkim to its
south. The official languages are English, Bhutia, Nepali, Lepcha, Limbu, and Hindi. It must be noted though that almost all written transactions are in English. The predominant religions are Hinduism and Vajrayana Buddhism. Gangtok is the capital and largest town
