Boyacá, Boyacá

Municipality and town in Boyacá Department, Colombia

Flag

Location of the municipality and town of Boyacá in the Boyacá department of Colombia

Country

ColombiaDepartmentBoyacá DepartmentProvinceMárquez ProvinceFounded8 August 1537Founded byGonzalo Jiménez de QuesadaGovernment

• MayorRafael Antonio Rátiva Díaz
(2020-2023)Area

• Municipality and town48 km² (19 sq mi)Elevation

2,420 m (7,940 ft)Population

(2015)

• Municipality and town4,472 • Density93/km² (240/sq mi) • Urban

403Time zoneUTC-5 (Colombia Standard Time)WebsiteOfficial website

Boyacá is a town and municipality in the Márquez Province, part of the department of Boyacá, Colombia. It is located approximately 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the city of Tunja, the capital of the department. Boyacá limits Tunja and Soracá in the north, Jenesano in the south, Nuevo Colón and Ramiriquí in the west and Ventaquemada in the east.^[1]

Etymology

The name of both the municipality and the department, Boyacá, comes from Chibcha and means "Region of the blankets" or "Enclosure of the cacique".^[1]^[2]

History

Boyacá in the times before the Spanish conquest was ruled by the zaque of nearby Hunza, the ruler of the Muisca, who were organised in their loose Muisca Confederation.

Modern Boyacá was founded on August 8, 1537, by Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada who was searching for the mythical El Dorado.^[1]