Thimphu
Thimphu is the capital and largest city of Bhutan. It is situated in the western central part of Bhutan, and the surrounding valley is one of Bhutan's dzongkhags, the Thimphu District. The ancient capital city of Punakha was replaced by Thimphu as the capital in 1955, and in 1961 Thimphu was officially declared the capital of the Kingdom of Bhutan by the 3rd Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuck.
The city extends in a north–south direction on the west bank of the valley formed by the Wang Chhu, which flows out into India as the Raidāk River. Thimphu is the fifth highest capital in the world by altitude and the highest capital in Asia, ranging from to. Unlike many capitals, Thimphu does not have its own airport, instead relying on the Paro Airport, accessible by road away.
Thimphu, as the political and economic center of Bhutan, has a dominant agriculture and livestock base, contributing to about 45% of the country's GNP. Tourism, though a contributor to the economy, is strictly regulated, maintaining a balance between tradition, development, and modernization. Thimphu contains most of the important political buildings in Bhutan, including the National Assembly of the parliamentary democracy and Dechencholing Palace, the official residence of the King, located to the north of the city. The city’s development is guided by the "Thimphu Structure Plan, 2002–2027", an urban plan aimed at protecting the fragile ecology of the valley. Some development has been supported by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.
The culture of Bhutan is reflected fully in Thimphu, through literature, religion, customs, national dress code, monastic practices, music, dance, and media. The annual Tshechu festival, held in September or October according to the Bhutanese calendar, is a major event featuring mask dances known as Cham dances, performed in the courtyards of the Tashichho Dzong.
History
Before 1960, Thimphu consisted of a group of hamlets scattered across the valley including Motithang, Changangkha, Changlimithang, Langchupakha, and Taba, some of which constitute districts of the city today. In 1885, a battle was held at what is now the Changlimithang sports ground in Thimphu. The decisive victory opened the way for Ugyen Wangchuck, the first King of Bhutan, to virtually control the whole country. Since this time the sports ground has been of major importance to the city; football, cricket matches and archery competitions take place there. The modern Changlimithang Stadium was built on the site in 1974. Under the Wangchuck dynasty, the country enjoyed peace and progress under successive reformist monarchs. The third king, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, reformed the old pseudo-feudal systems by abolishing serfdom, redistributing land, and reforming taxation. He also introduced many executive, legislative, and judiciary reforms. Reforms continued and in 1952 the decision was made to shift the capital from the ancient capital of Punakha to Thimphu. The fourth king, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, opened the country for development and India provided the needed impetus in this process with financial and other forms of assistance. In 1961, Thimphu officially became the capital of Bhutan.Bhutan joined the Colombo Plan in 1962, the Universal Postal Union in 1969 and became a member of the United Nations in 1971. The presence of diplomatic missions and international funding organizations in Thimphu resulted in rapid expansion of Thimphu as a metropolis.
File:King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.jpg|thumb|right|upright|5th King of the House of Wangchuck of Bhutan – Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.
The fourth king, who had established the National Assembly in 1953, devolved all executive powers to a council of ministers elected by the people in 1998. He introduced a system of voting no confidence in the king, which empowered the parliament to remove the monarch. The National Constitution Committee in Thimphu started drafting the Constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan in 2001. In 2005, the fourth king of Bhutan announced his decision to hand over the reins of his kingdom to his son Prince Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk. The coronation of the king was held in Thimphu at the refurbished Changlimithang Stadium and coincided with the centenary of the establishment of the House of Wangchuck. In 2008, this paved way for the transition from absolute monarchic rule to a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy, with Thimphu as the headquarters of the new government, with the national defined objective of achieving "Gross National Happiness" concomitant with the growth of Gross National Product.
Geography and climate
Thimphu is situated in the constricted, linear valley of the Raidāk River, which is also known as the Thimphu River. While the surrounding hills are in an altitudinal range of , the city itself has an altitude range varying between and. It is these two variations in altitude and climate which determine the habitable zones and vegetation typology for the valley. The valley, however, is thinly-forested and is spread out to the north and west. At the southern end of the city, the Lungten Zampa bridge connects the east and west banks of the Wang Chuu which flows through the heart of city.The Raidāk River raises in the snow fields at an altitude of about. It has many tributaries that flow from the Himalayan peaks that largely dictate the topography of the Thimphu valley. The Thimphu valley, so formed, is delimited by a steep eastern ridge that rises from the riverbed and a valley formation with gradually sloping topography, extending from Dechencholing and Simtokha, on the western banks of the Raidāk. The north–south orientation of the hill ranges of the valley means that they are exposed to moist monsoon winds which engulf the inner Himalayas and its lower valleys. However, the windward and leeward sides of the hill ranges have different vegetation patterns depending on the varying rainfall incidence in the two sides. Thimphu Valley, lying in the leeward side of the mountains, is comparatively dry and contains a different type of vegetation as compared to the windward side. Hence, the coniferous vegetation in the valley is attributed to this phenomenon. Punakha, the old capital of Bhutan, is on the windward side with broad-leaved trees dominating the topography.
The city experiences a southwest monsoon-influenced subtropical highland climate. The southwest monsoon rainfall occurs during mid-April to September. Lightning and thunder often precedes rainfall in the region with cumulonimbus clouds and light showers dominating the weather. Continuous rainfall for several days occurs resulting in landslides and blockage of roads. Streams and rivers swell up carrying huge amounts of debris from forests. Deep puddles, thick mud, and landslides along roads form barriers to transportation. Cold winds, low temperatures at night, and moderate temperatures during the day, cloudiness, light showers and snowfall mark winter weather in this zone. Fog causes poor visibility, which poses a threat to vehicular traffic in the city. As spring approaches, the landscape is marked by violent winds and relatively dry and clear skies.
Demographics
According to the census of 31 May 2005, the population of the city was 79,185 with a density of, with 92,929 over an area of in the entire district; the corresponding figure projected in 2010 for the district was 104,200. In 2011, the city's population was about 91,000.Urban structure
Demkhongs
Changangkha
Changangkha is a western central district, located between the Chubachu centre and Motithang to the west. It contains the Changangkha Lhakhang. Changangkha Temple is one of the oldest temples in the Thimphu valley, founded by Phajo Drugom Zhigpo, founder of the Drukpa Lineage in Bhutan, and extended by his son Nyima in the 13th century. The temple houses a statue of Thousand-armed Avalokiteśvara as well as very large prayer wheels and unusually large size sacred scriptures. The temple was restored in 1998–99. A well known incense factory, named Nado Poedzokhang, is located above the Lhakhang in Changangkha.Changzamtok
Changzamtok is a southern district from the main centre, bordered by the Hospital Area to the west, by Gongphel Lam and the Wang Chuu river to the east.Chubachu
is the central district. It is bounded by the Chubachu River to the north, the Wang Chuu River to the east and Changangkha and Motithang to the west. Below Chubachu lies the Centenary Farmers Market which runs throughout the week. A weekend market is held on the western bank of the Wang Chu. To the west lies the Norzin Lam road which divides Chubachu from Motithang. This road contains the Bhutan Textile Museum and the National Library of Bhutan. The central road of the district is called Yanden Lam. The eastern road of the district is Chogyal Lam which runs northwest–southeast along the banks of the Wang Chu.Hospital Area
The Hospital Area is a central district of Thimphu. Located south of the Memorial Chorten, it contains the central roundabout, JDWR Hospital and the Royal Bhutan Police national headquarters. The Gongphel Lam road divides it from Changzamthok District.Jungshina
Jungshina is a northern district. It contains the Wangduetse Gompa.Kawangjangsa
Kawangjangsa is a western district, north of Motithang, and north of the Chubachu River.The Institute of Traditional Medicine, Institute for Zorig Chusum, the National Library of Bhutan, the Folk Heritage Museum and the Bhutan Telecom Offices are located in Kawajangsa. The World Wide Fund for Nature has its Bhutanese headquarters here; it has been responsible for facilitating tiger conservation in Bhutan.
Langjupakha
Langjupakha is a northeastern district of Thimphu. Located on the eastern bank of the Wang Chuu it contains the Royal Banquet Hall, SAARC building and National Assembly and Centre for Bhutan Studies.The SAARCC building in Thimphu was initially built for the purpose of holding the SAARC conference, in the early 1990s. It is located across the Wang Chuu River opposite to the Tashechho Dzong. This elegant structure is built in a fusion of Bhutanese and modern architecture with high tech facilities. It presently houses the Ministries of Planning and Foreign Affairs. The National Assembly, which used to meet in the Tashechhoe Dzong until 1993, is now held in this building in an elaborately decorated assembly hall at the end of two long decorated corridors. The National Assembly meets here twice a year. The banquet hall is also close by.