Thimphu ( Tibetan alphabet: ཐིམ་ཕུག།, Dzongkha :ཐིམ་ཕུ ) also spelt Thimpu, is the capital and largest city of Bhutan. It is situated in the western central part of Bhutan and the name of the surrounding valley is dzongkhag, the Thimphu District. The city became the capital of Bhutan in 1961. As of 2005 it had a population of 79,185, with 98,676 people living in the entire Thimphu district. The city is spread out longitudinally in a north-south direction on the west bank of the valley formed by the Wang Chuu, also known as the Thimphu Chuu River. Thimphu is located at (27°28′00″N89°38′30″E) and is spread over an altitudinal range between 2,248 metres (7,375 ft) and 2,648 metres (8,688 ft).