Thimphu, also spelled Thimbu, the capital, has a population of 20,000. It is dominated by the Tashichodzong, a prime example of the Bhutanese monastery-fortresses, or dzongs, that function as administrative and religious centers in the nation's 18 districts. Thimphu's dzong, built in 1641, houses the government's offices and serves as the headquarters of the Drupka monks, members of Bhutan's dominant Buddhist sect.
Thimphu is also the site of the memorial chorten, or shrine, to Jigme Dorji Wangchuk, the third king, who died in 1972. When Dorji Wangchuk ascended to the throne in 1952, his kingdom had no roads, no postal system, and no air links to the outside world. During his reign, Bhutan was opened to the world.
| 
