Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan, sprawls along a valley at an altitude of 2,300 meters. It was in 1961 that Thimphu replaced Punakha as the capital. It is estimated that about 100,000 people reside in Thimphu making it the most populated district in the country. Thimphu is a mixture of residents from all over the country as it is the center of government, religion and commerce.
The city is unique. After Pyongyang, North Korea, Thimphu is the only other national capital in the world with no traffic lights. Small and secluded, the city is quiet and the traffic jams are hardly a thing of concern. There is so much to see in Thimphu that you can spend several days here observing the culture and the Bhutanese way of life. Unlike many modern cities, Thimphu has kept a strong national character in its architectural style.
