Chivatá

Municipality and town in Boyacá Department, Colombia

Flag

Location of the municipality and town of Chivatá in the Boyacá Department of Colombia

Country

ColombiaDepartmentBoyacá DepartmentProvinceCentral Boyacá ProvinceFounded5 March 1556Government

• MayorRafael Antonio Fonseca Cely
(2020-2023)Area

• Municipality and town56 km² (22 sq mi) • Urban

20 km² (8 sq mi)Elevation

2,903 m (9,524 ft)Population

(2015)

• Municipality and town6,199 • Density110/km² (290/sq mi) • Urban

2,557Time zoneUTC-5 (Colombia Standard Time)WebsiteOfficial website

Chivatá is a town and municipality in the Central Boyacá Province, part of the Colombian department of Boyacá. The urban centre is situated at an altitude of 2,903 metres (9,524 ft) on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense at 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the department capital Tunja. It borders Oicatá, Toca and Tuta in the north, Toca and Siachoque in the east, Siachoque and Soracá in the south and Tunja in the west.^[1]

Etymology

The name Chivatá is derived from the Chibcha language of the Muisca who inhabited the central highlands of Colombia before the Spanish conquest in the 1530s. It means "Our outside farmfields".^[1]^[2]

History

Chivatá was ruled by a cacique named Chipatá, loyal to the zaque of nearby Hunza before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores. Modern Chivatá was founded on March 5, 1556.^[1]