Darjeeling originally just a cluster of village that was administered intermittently by Nepal and Sikkim, Darjeeling grew in prominence when the British discovered the suitable of the area for growing tea. The town was subsequently annexed by the British Indian Empire and a small railway was constructed lining the town the lowland. Sikkim between Nepal in the west, Bhutan in the east, and Tibet (China) in the north, in area and contains Mount Khangchendzonga, the third-highest peak in the world. Formerly a kingdom, since 1975 it has been a tiny land -locked province to India. Besides birds, Sikkim has 4000 species of flowering plants, making it a botanist's paradise.