PUNAKHA

town in the eastern Himalayas, west-central Bhutan. It lies at an elevation of about 5,000 feet (1,500 m) above sea level at a point where several streams converge to form the Sankosh River. The town, founded in 1577, was once the capital of Bhutan. The old dzong (fortress, or castle) is on a promontory between the Pho and Mo rivers, tributaries of the Sankosh. Pop. (1982 est.) 1,100.