Iza, Boyacá

Municipality and town in Boyacá Department, Colombia

Iza
Municipality and town
Church of Iza
Location of the municipality and town of Iza in the Boyacá Department of Colombia
Country	Colombia
Department	Boyacá Department
Province	Sugamuxi Province
Founded	2 January 1556
Government
• Mayor	Robinson Leandro Salamanca Rincón (2020-2023)
Area
• Municipality and town	34 km² (13 sq mi)
Elevation	2,560 m (8,400 ft)
Population
• Municipality and town	2,349
• Density	69/km² (180/sq mi)
• Urban	1,026
Time zone	UTC-5 (Colombia Standard Time)
Website	Official website

Iza is a town and municipality in Boyacá Department, Colombia. Iza is located near the Tota Lake and part of the Sugamuxi Province, a subregion of Boyacá. Iza is located in the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense at a distance of 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) from Sogamoso and 90 kilometres (56 mi) from the department capital Tunja. The municipality borders Firavitoba and Sogamoso in the north, Sogamoso and Cuítiva in the east, in the west Pesca and Firavitoba, and in the south Cuítiva.

History

Before the Spanish conquest, the area of Iza was inhabited first by indigenous groups during the Herrera Period and later by the Muisca, organized in the Muisca Confederation. Iza was ruled by the iraca of Sugamuxi, modern neighbouring Sogamoso. According to Muisca mythology, the messenger god Bochica is said to have lived outside Iza in a cave.

In the Chibcha language of the Muisca za means "night", and Iza means "place of healing".^[1]

Modern Iza was founded on January 2, 1554. The town is nicknamed Nido Verde de Boyacá; "Green Nest of Boyacá".