Boyacá

Boyacá is one of the 32 departments of Colombia. It is in the central northeastern part of the country, almost entirely within the mountains of the Eastern Cordillera to the border with Venezuela, although the western end of the department extends to the Magdalena River. Its capital is Tunja.

Boyacá is known as "The Land of Freedom" because in this region there were several battles that resulted in the independence of Colombia from Spain.

History

The territory of present-day Boyacá was inhabited, during the Pre-Columbian time, by Muisca indigenous peoples. They lived mainly by agriculture and mining gold and emeralds.

The first European to discover the area was the Spaniard Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada. In 1539, Gonzalo Suárez Rendón, a Spanish colonist, founded the city of Tunja and other places. Tunja became one of the main political and economic centers for the Spanish during the "Viceroyalty of New Granada".

During the 19th century Boyaca was battleground of several important battles during the war of Independence; two of the most important were the "Battle of the Pantano de Vargas" (Vargas Swamp Battle) on 25 July 1819, and the "Battle of Boyacá" on 7 August 1819.

Geography
The Boyacá department is in the Andean region over the mountains of the Eastern Cordillera (the eastern section of the Andes in Colombia). It borders 8 departments: Santander and Norte de Santander to the north, Arauca and Casanare to the east, Cundinamarca and Meta to the south, and Caldas and Antioquia to the west. It also borders with Venezuela.

Boyacá has an area of , most of it on a plateau. Its highest point is Ritacuba Blanco () in the Eastern Cordillera; it is  high.

Many rivers start in this area; the most important are the Chicamocha and Arauca rivers, tributaries to other important rivers such as the Magdalena and Meta rivers.

Boyacá also has numerous lakes; the largest, and the largest in Colombia, is the Lake Tota with an area of .

Climate
The area around Tunja, at an altitude of about , is characterized by climates with few extremes of temperature  and ample precipitation in all months. The Köppen climate classification type for the climate at Tunja is a "Marine West Coast Climate" and of the subtype "Cfb".

The average amount of precipitation for the year in Tunja is . The month with the most precipitation on average is October with  of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is January with an average of . There is an average of 179.0 days of precipitation, with the most precipitation occurring in May with 19.0 days and the least precipitation occurring in January with 6.0 days.

The average temperature for the year in Tunja is . The warmest month, on average, is March with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is July, with an average temperature of .

Provinces and Municipalities
There are 13 provinces and two special districts in the Boyacá Department, listed below with their 123 municipalities. The provincial capitals are in bold.

Centro
 Cómbita
 Cucaita
 Chíquiza
 Chivatá
 Motavita
 Oicatá
 Siachoque
 Samacá
 Sora
 Soracá
 Sotaquirá
 Toca
 Tunja
 Tuta
 Ventaquemada

Gutiérrez
 Chiscas
 El Cocuy
 El Espino
 Guacamayas
 Güicán
 Panqueba

La Libertad
 Labranzagrande
 Pajarito
 Paya
 Pisba

Lengupá
 Berbeo
 Campohermoso
 Miraflores
 Páez
 San Eduardo
 Zetaquirá

Occidente
 Briceño
 Buenavista
 Caldas
 Chiquinquirá
 Coper
 La Victoria
 Maripí
 Muzo
 Otanche
 Pauna
 Quipama
 Saboyá
 San Miguel de Sema
 San Pablo de Borbur
 Tununguá

Márquez
 Boyacá
 Ciénaga
 Jenesano
 Nuevo Colón
 Ramiriquí
 Rondón
 Tibaná
 Turmequé
 Úmbita
 Viracachá

Neira
 Chinavita
 Garagoa
 Macanal
 Pachavita
 San Luis de Gaceno
 Santa María

Norte
 Boavita
 Covarachía
 La Uvita
 San Mateo
 Sativanorte
 Sativasur
 Soatá
 Susacón
 Tipacoque

Oriente
 Almeida
 Chivor
 Guateque
 Guayatá
 La Capilla
 Somondoco
 Sutatenza
 Tenza

Ricaurte
 Arcabuco
 Chitaraque
 Gachantivá
 Moniquirá
 Ráquira
 Sáchica
 San José de Pare
 Santa Sofía
 Santana
 Sutamarchán
 Tinjacá
 Togüí
 Villa de Leyva

Sugamuxi
 Aquitania
 Cuítiva
 Firavitoba
 Gámeza
 Iza
 Mongua
 Monguí
 Nobsa
 Pesca
 Sogamoso
 Tibasosa
 Tópaga
 Tota

Tundama
 Belén
 Busbanzá
 Cerinza
 Corrales
 Duitama
 Floresta
 Paipa
 Santa Rosa de Viterbo
 Tutasá, Boyacá

Valderrama
 Betéitiva
 Chita
 Jericó
 Paz de Río
 Socotá
 Socha
 Tasco

Distrito Fronterizo
 Cubará

Special Handling Zone
 Puerto Boyacá

Demographics
The inhabitants of the Boyacá department are known, in Spanish, as Boyacense.

Boyacá had a population, in 2005, of 1,255,311, for a population density of  inhabitants/km2.

Population history in Boyacá

The 10 municipalities with more inhabitants in the Boyacá department are:

Economy
Farming is an important activity; some crops grown here are sugarcane, coffee and cacao. Cattle raising is also important.

Mining is also an important activity, mainly of emerald and coal.

Places of interest
Some places of interest in the department are:
 Monument to the Lancers () a memorial for Vargas Swamp Battle.  It is the largest monument in Colombia.
 Villa de Leyva is a touristic colonial town and municipality. The town is at  west of the departmental capital Tunja.
 Battleground of the Battle of Boyacá, to the south of Tunja.
 Puente de Boyacá (in English: The Bridge of Boyacá) is a small bridge at  to the west of Tunja. It commemorates the historic battle of 7 August 1819 known as the Battle of Boyacá.
 Lake Tota, the largest lake of fresh water of the country.
 Basílica of Our Lady of the Rosary in Chiquinquirá. Our Lady of the Rosary is the patron saint of Colombia.

Gallery

References

Departments of Colombia
1858 establishments
1850s establishments in South America
19th-century establishments in Colombia