Shimla  formerly known as Simla, is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of the British Raj in India. A popular tourist destination, Shimla is often referred to as the "Queen of Hills," a term coined by the British. Located in the north-west Himalayas at an average altitude of 2,205 metres (7,234 ft), the city of Shimla, draped in forests of pine, rhododendron, and oak, experiences pleasant summers and cold, snowy winters. The city is famous for its buildings styled in 'Tudorbethan' and neo-Gothic architecture dating from the colonial era. Shimla is connected to the city of Kalka by one of the longest narrow gauge railway routes still operating in India,[2] the Kalka-Shimla Railway. Shimla is approximately 145 km (90 mi) from Mandi, 100 km (62 mi) from Chandigarh, the nearest major city, and 365 km (227 mi) from New Delhi, the national capital. The city is named after the goddess Shyamala Devi, an incarnation of the Hindu Goddess Kali.

Sl. No.	Particulars	Description
1	Geographical Area	5,131 km2.
2	Area(out of total Area) of H.P.	9.22 %
3	Tehsils	(12) Rampur, Kumarsain, Seoni, Shimla(R), Shimla(U), Theog,Chaupal, Jubbal, Kotkhai, Rohru, Chirgaon, Dodra Kawar
4	Sub-Tehsils	(5) Nankhari Rampur, Junga Shimla (R), Cheta(Kupvi) Chaupal, NerwaChaupal, Tikar Rohru
5	Towns	(10) Rampur, Narkanda, Seoni, Kumarsain, Shimla, Theog, Chaupal,Kotkhai, Jubbal, Rohru
6	Sub-Divisions	(7) Shimla(U), Shimla(R), Theog, Chaupal, Rohru, Rampur, Dodra Kawar
7	C.D.Blocks	(10) Mashobra, Theog, Chaupal, Jubbal, Kotkhai, Rohru, Kumarsain,Chirgaon, Basantpur, Nankhari
8	Legislative Assembly	(8) Rampur, Shimla(R), Shimla(U), Theog, Chaupal, Jubbal - Kotkhai,Rohru, Kasumpati
9	Villages	2,914
10	Inhabited	2,520
11	Un-inhabited	394
12	Density	159 person per km2
13	Panchayts	363

Population

Persons - 8,13,384
Males - 4,24,486
Females - 3,88,898
Sex ratio (females per 1000 males) - 916
Growth (2001–2011) - 12.58%
Rural - 555,269
Urban - 167,233
Sex ratio (0–6 years) - 922
Scheduled Caste population - 188,787
Percentage to total population - 26.13%
Scheduled Tribe population - 4,112
Percentage to total population - 0 .57%

Number of households - 1 54,693
Household size (per household) - 5

Literacy and Educational level

Literates
Persons - 6,19,427
Males - 3,47,013
Females - 2,72,414

Literacy rate
Persons - 84.55 %
Males - 90.73 %
Females - 77.80 %

Educational Level attained
Total - 504,330
Without level - 11,640
Below primary - 9 7,060
Primary - 1 14,805
Middle - 7 8,995
Matric/Higher Secondary/Diploma - 1 53,284
Graduate and above - 4 8,464

Age groups
0 – 4 years - 5 9,305
5 – 14 years - 1 49,801
15 – 59 years - 4 55,784
60 years and above (Incl. A.N.S.) - 5 7,612

Religions (Largest three)

1.Hindus - 704,150
2.Muslims - 8,493
3.Sikhs - 4,825

Important Towns
1.Shimla (M Corp.) - 142,555
2.Rampur (M Cl) - 9,653
3.Rohru (M CI) - 8,205
4.Chaupal (NP) - 6786
5.Theog (M CI) - 5435

Total inhabited villages - 2,520

Type of house
(% of households occupying)
Permanent - 83.2
Semi-permanent - 14.6
Temporary - 2.2