Mariquita, Tolima

Municipality and town in Tolima Department, Colombia

Location of the municipality and town of Mariquita, Tolima in the Tolima Department of Colombia.

5°15′N 74°55′W / 5.250°N 74.917°W / 5.250; -74.917Country ColombiaDepartmentTolima DepartmentGovernment • MayorAlejandro Galindo RincónArea • Municipality and town293.3 km² (113.2 sq mi) • Urban5.91 km² (2.28 sq mi)Elevation495 m (1,624 ft)Population • Municipality and town37,770 • Density130/km² (330/sq mi) • Urban27,907 • Urban density4,700/km² (12,000/sq mi)Time zoneUTC-5 (Colombia Standard Time)

San Sebastián de Mariquita is a town and municipality in the Tolima department of Colombia, about 150 km (93 mi) northwest of Bogotá. This town and municipality contains several important Spanish settlements that were located here due to its vicinity to the Magdalena River. Today, Mariquita is frequented by tourists from the capital visiting attractions like the Medina Waterfalls (Cataratas de Medina) and the mint (Casa de la Moneda). The Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada died there and is buried in the Primatial Cathedral of Bogotá. Today it is home to large hotels and haciendas, among them Villa de los Caballeros.

The population of the municipality was 32,642 as of the 2005 census.^[2]

Notable people

• Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela, drug lord
• Miguel Rodríguez Orejuela, drug lord

References