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Shimla

Shimla
Capital
Shimla Montage
Clockwise from top: Skyline at Shimla Southern Side, Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Town Hall, Night view of Shimla and Christ Church.
Nickname(s): Queen of Hills
Shimla is located in Himachal Pradesh
Shimla
Shimla
Shimla is located in India
Shimla
Shimla
Coordinates: 31°6′12″N 77°10′20″E / 31.10333°N 77.17222°E / 31.10333; 77.17222Coordinates: 31°6′12″N 77°10′20″E / 31.10333°N 77.17222°E / 31.10333; 77.17222
Country  India
State Himachal Pradesh
District Shimla
Named for Hindu goddess Shyamala Devi
Government
 • Mayor Sanjay Chauhan
Area
 • Capital 35.34 km2 (13.64 sq mi)
Area rank 1st
Elevation 2,276 m (7,467 ft)
Population (2011)
 • Capital 169,578
 • Rank 1 (in HP)
 • Density 4,800/km2 (12,000/sq mi)
 • Metro 171,640
Languages
 • Official Hindi, English
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN 171 001
Telephone code 91 177 XXX XXXX
ISO 3166 code ISO 3166-2
Vehicle registration HP-03, HP-51, HP-52
Climate Cwb
Precipitation 1,577 mm (62 in)
Avg. annual temperature 13 °C (55 °F)
Avg. summer temperature 18 °C (64 °F)
Avg. winter temperature 5 °C (41 °F)
Website hpshimla.gov.in

Shimla (Hindi: शिमला; Punjabi: ਸ਼ਿਮਲਾ; English pronunciation: /ˈʃɪmlə/; Hindi: [ˈʃɪmlaː]), also known as Simla, is the capital and largest city of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Shimla is also a district which is bounded by Mandi and Kullu in the north, Kinnaur in the east, the state of Uttarakhand in the south-east, and Solan and Sirmaur. In 1864, Shimla was declared as the summer capital of British India, succeeding Murree, northeast of Rawalpindi. After independence, the city became the capital of Punjab and was later named the capital of Himachal Pradesh. It is the principal commercial, cultural and educational centre of the hilly regions of the state. As of 2011, the city had 171,817 permanent residents, and was one of the least populous capital cities in India.

Small hamlets were recorded prior to 1815 when the English forces took control of the area. The climatic conditions attracted the British to establish the city in the dense forests of Himalayas. As the summer capital, Shimla hosted many important political meetings including the Simla Accord of 1914 and the Simla Conference of 1945. After independence, the state of Himachal Pradesh came into being in 1948 as a result of integration of 28 princely states. Even after independence, the city remained an important political centre, hosting the Simla Agreement of 1972. After the reorganisation, the Mahasu district and its major portion were merged with Shimla. Its name is derived from the goddess Shyamala Devi, an incarnation of the Hindu goddess Kali. As of 2011 Shimla comprises 19 hill states, namely Baghal, Baghat, Balsan, Bashahr, Bhajji, Bija, Darkoti, Dhami, Jubbal, Keonthal, Kumharsain, Kunihar, Kuthar, Mahlog, Mangal, Nalagarh (Hindur), Sangri and Tharoch.


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