What is the capital of Bhutan?

Thimphu became the permanent seat of government in the 1950s under the third king, part of a broader effort to build modern central institutions in a country that had previously governed through a network of fortress-monasteries in different valleys. Before that the court had moved seasonally, wintering in the lower, warmer valley of Punakha and spending summers higher up, a rhythm dictated by Himalayan altitude. Thimphu sits in a valley in the west along a river, and it grew from a small settlement around the Tashichho Dzong, a whitewashed fortress that now houses the throne room and government offices alongside monastic quarters, an arrangement that reflects Bhutan's historical fusion of religious and civil authority. Building regulations require traditional forms, so even new construction carries the characteristic timber windows and painted detailing, and the city is often noted for having no traffic lights.

Bhutan's dzongs still combine monastery and district administration in the same fortified building.