Namchi district

Namchi district lies at an altitude of 400 to 2000 metres and has a temperate climate for most of the year. Major urban centres include Namchi, Ravangla, Jorethang and Melli.

The district was previously divided into eight assembly constituencies.

• Barfung (BL)
• Poklok-Kamrang
• Namchi-Singhithang
• Melli
• Namthang-Rateypani
• Temi-Namphing
• Rangang-Yangang
• Tumen-Lingi (BL)

• Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary

South Sikkim is the most industrialised district in the state, owing to the availability of flat land. Since the geology is stable the roads are in good condition as compared to other parts of the state which suffer from landslides. The district is also known for Sikkim tea, which is grown near Namchi.

According to the 2011 census, Namchi district has a population of 146,850,{{cite web |title=District Census Hand Book – Sikkim |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/13990/download/17113/DH_2011_1100_PART_A_DCHB_SIKKIM.PDF |website=Census of India |publisher=Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India}} roughly equal to the nation of Saint Lucia.{{cite web | author = US Directorate of Intelligence | title = Country Comparison:Population | url = https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2119rank.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070613004507/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2119rank.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = 13 June 2007 | access-date = 1 October 2011 | quote = Saint Lucia 161,557 July 2011 est. }} This gives it a ranking of 600th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of {{convert| 196 |PD/sqkm|PD/sqmi}}. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 11.57%. and has a sex ratio of 914 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 82.06%. 14.44% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 4.12% and 28.19% of the population respectively.

Namchi is one of the least populated regions of the state. The people are mainly of Nepali descent. Other ethnic groups include the Lepcha and Bhutia communities. Nepali is the most widely spoken language in the district. The district was under the occupation of the Nepalese for 30 years in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

{{bar box

|title = Religion in Namchi district (2011)

|titlebar=#Fcd116

|float=left

|bars=

{{bar percent|Hinduism|darkorange|57.60}}

{{bar percent|Buddhism|yellow|23.87}}

{{bar percent|Christianity|dodgerblue|14.61}}

{{bar percent|Other (mainly Kirat Mundhum)|red|2.16}}

{{bar percent|Islam|green|1.29}}

{{bar percent|Other or not stated|black|0.47}}

}}

Hinduism is followed by majority of the people in the South Sikkim district. Buddhism is followed by a considerable population.{{Cite web|date=2011|title=Table C-01 Population by Religion: Sikkim |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/11391/download/14504/DDW11C-01%20MDDS.XLS |website=censusindia.gov.in|publisher=Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India}}

{{Pie chart

|caption = Languages of Namchi district (2011)

|label1 = Nepali |value1 = 72.66 |color1 = lightcoral

|label2 = Bhotia |value2 = 3.88 |color2 = deepskyblue

|label3 = Lepcha |value3 = 3.61 |color3 = darkblue

|label4 = Limbu |value4 = 3.57 |color4 = lavender

|label5 = Hindi |value5 = 3.25 |color5 = orange

|label6 = Sherpa |value6 = 3.19 |color6 = purple

|label7 = Tamang |value7 = 2.46 |color7 = skyblue

|label8 = Rai |value8 = 1.65 |color8 = limegreen

|label9 = Bhojpuri |value9 = 1.26 |color9 = gold

|label10 = Others |value10 = 4.47 |color10 = grey

}}

At the time of the 2011 Census of India, 72.66% of the population in the district spoke Nepali, 3.88% Sikkimese, 3.61% Lepcha, 3.57% Limbu, 3.25% Hindi, 3.19% Sherpa, 2.46% Tamang, 1.65% Rai, 1.26% Bhojpuri, 0.88% Tibetan and 0.83% Bengali as their first language.{{cite web |title=Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: Sikkim |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/10221/download/13333/DDW-C16-STMT-MDDS-1100.XLSX |website=censusindia.gov.in|publisher=Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India}}

The Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1987. It has an area of {{convert|35|km2|mi2|abbr=on|1}}.{{cite web|author=Indian Ministry of Forests and Environment|title=Protected areas: Sikkim|url=http://oldwww.wii.gov.in/envis/envis_pa_network/index.htm|access-date=25 September 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110823163836/http://oldwww.wii.gov.in/envis/envis_pa_network/index.htm|archive-date=23 August 2011|df=dmy-all}}

{{South Sikkim image map}}

{{multiple image

| direction = vertical

| caption_align = center

| footer_align = center

| width = 300

| footer =
Scenes from the district

| image1 = Guru rimpoche at samdruptse.jpg

| alt1 =

| caption1 = Padmasambhava, the patron saint of Sikkim

| image2 = Temi Tea Garden Ravangla.jpg

| alt2 =

| caption2 = Tea garden

}}

Namchi district is divided into two sub-divisions:{{cite map |publisher=The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India, New Delhi, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |title=Sikkim Administrative Divisions |url=http://censusindia.gov.in/2011census/maps/administrative_maps/SIKIM.pdf |language=en |format=PDF |year=2011 |access-date=29 September 2011 }}

• Melli Dara
• Perbing

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Namchi district}}

• [https://southsikkim.nic.in/ Official district government website]
• {{Wikivoyage-inline|South Sikkim}}

{{Geographic location

|Centre = Namchi

|North = Mangan

|Northeast =

|East = Gangtok

|Southeast =

|South = Darjeeling district, West Bengal

|Southwest =

|West = Gyalshing

|Northwest =

}}

{{South Sikkim district |state=expanded}}

{{Sikkim}}

Category:Districts of Sikkim