- Location: Located in the North and West Sikkim districts of Sikkim, India; situated in the eastern Himalayas and sharing international boundaries with Nepal to the west and Tibet (China) to the north-west, making it a strategically and ecologically significant transboundary mountain landscape.
- Altitude Range: Extends from approximately 1,220 meters above sea level to 8,586 meters at the summit of Mount Khangchendzonga, representing one of the world’s most dramatic altitudinal gradients and among the highest protected ecosystems globally.
- National Park Status: Declared as Khangchendzonga National Park in 1977 to conserve its high-altitude ecosystems, glaciers, wildlife, and sacred landscapes.
- Biosphere Reserve (India): Notified as a Biosphere Reserve by the Government of India in 2000 with the aim of promoting biodiversity conservation, ecological research, and sustainable development in the Himalayan region.
- UNESCO World Heritage Site: Khangchendzonga National Park was inscribed in 2016 under the UNESCO World Heritage List in the Mixed category (natural and cultural), recognizing both its outstanding natural features and its deep spiritual and cultural significance.
- UNESCO Biosphere Reserve: Included in UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme in 2018, becoming the 11th Biosphere Reserve from India to join the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
- Area: Covers a total area of approximately 2,931.12 km², with a Core zone of 1,784 km² (entirely comprising Khangchendzonga National Park), a Buffer zone of 835.92 km², and a Transition zone of 311.20 km² designed to balance conservation with sustainable community activities.
- Hills / Peaks: Dominated by Mount Khangchendzonga (8,586 meters), the world’s third-highest peak, whose name translates to “Five Treasures of Snow,” symbolizing gold, silver, precious stones, grain, and sacred scriptures in local belief systems.
- River: The Teesta River forms the eastern boundary of the reserve and is a major lifeline of Sikkim, originating from glacial sources within the protected area.
- Lakes: Contains around 73 high-altitude glacial lakes spread across seven watersheds, covering approximately 3.34 km², many of which hold religious and ecological importance.
- Glaciers: Home to the Zemu Glacier, the largest glacier in the Eastern Himalayas, stretching nearly 26 kilometers and serving as a vital freshwater source for downstream river systems.
- Tribes: Inhabited by indigenous Lepcha, Bhutia, and Limbu communities, whose traditions, folklore, and sacred landscape beliefs are closely connected to the mountains, rivers, and forests of the region.
- Cultural Significance: Mount Khangchendzonga is revered as a sacred deity by local tribes, and the surrounding landscape is deeply embedded in spiritual narratives, rituals, and traditional conservation ethics.
- Ecosystem Range: Exhibits a remarkable ecological gradient ranging from sub-tropical forests at lower elevations to alpine meadows and near-Arctic conditions at higher altitudes, with multiple ecological transition zones (ecolines).
- Biodiversity Hotspot: Forms part of the Eastern Himalaya global biodiversity hotspot, recognized for its exceptional levels of species richness, endemism, and ecological sensitivity.
- Forest Types: Includes sub-tropical forests, temperate broad-leaved forests, sub-alpine forests, alpine forests, and high-altitude meadows, reflecting diverse climatic conditions across elevation zones.
- Plants: Flora includes oak, chestnut, maple, rhododendron, fir, birch, juniper, and an extraordinary diversity of orchids, with over 500 orchid species recorded in the region.
- Animals: Supports rare and iconic wildlife such as the Snow Leopard, Red Panda, Himalayan Black Bear, Musk Deer, Himalayan Tahr, Tibetan Wolf, Himalayan Monal, Himalayan Griffon, and numerous other high-altitude mammals and birds.