Boyacá Department

Boyacá is one of the thirty-two departments of Colombia. It is located in the middle of the country, mostly within the mountains of the Eastern Cordillera, close to the border with Venezuela. The department shares borders with several others, including Santander to the north, Arauca and Casanare to the east, Cundinamarca to the south, and Antioquia to the west. The capital city of Boyacá is Tunja.

Boyacá is called "The Land of Freedom" because important battles for Colombia's independence from Spain happened there. The first battle took place on July 25, 1819, and the final, decisive battle, the Battle of Boyacá, occurred on August 7, 1819.

The department is also home to three universities: the Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia (UPTC), the Universidad de Boyacá (UNIBOYACA), and the Saint Thomas Aquinas University.

Etymology

The name "Boyacá" comes from the Chibcha language. In their language, "Bojacá" means "Near the cacique" or "Region of the royal mantle". This shows the area's special meaning in the past.

History

The land we now call Boyacá was home to the Muisca people long before Europeans arrived. They lived by farming and mining gold and emeralds.

The first Europeans to reach this area were Spanish explorers led by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada. They took control of the land and made the Muisca people work for them. In 1539, another Spanish explorer named Gonzalo Suárez Rendón founded the city of Tunja, which became an important center for the Spanish.

During the 1800s, Boyacá was the site of many battles between groups fighting for independence from Spain and those loyal to the Spanish king. Important battles included the Battle of Boyacá and the Battle of Vargas Swamp in 1819, which helped lead to independence. Over time, the area went through many changes in government and borders, finally becoming the Boyacá Department we know today.

Geography

Boyacá is found in the central part of Colombia, within the Andean Region. It lies mostly on the Cordillera Oriental mountain range and spans an area of 23,189 km². Boyacá shares borders with several areas: to the north it meets Santander and Norte de Santander, to the east it touches Arauca and Casanare, to the south it borders Cundinamarca and a bit of Meta, and to the west it reaches Antioquia and Caldas.

The land of Boyacá includes parts of the Middle Magdalena valley along the Magdalena River, high mountains like the Sierra Nevada del Cocuy, wide flat areas, and some eastern plains known as the Llanos. Important features include the Range of the Zorro, Serrania de las Quinchas, and several high plateaus.

Boyacá is home to many rivers such as the Chicamocha River and Arauca River, as well as tributaries that flow into larger rivers like the Magdalena and Meta. The department also boasts beautiful lakes including Lake Tota, Lake Sochagota, and Lake Fúquene, along with the Chivor Reservoir.

Río Surba

National parks

Main article: List of national parks of Colombia

Two special places, El Cocuy and Pisba National Parks, are found in the northeast part of Boyacá. Pisba National Park is also shared with the department of Arauca. In the center of Boyacá lies Lake Iguaque, a important area for plants and animals. The Ocetá Páramo, considered one of the most beautiful high mountain plains in the world, is located in the northeast of Boyacá.

Climate

The central highland area experiences two rainy seasons: one from April to June and another from October to November, with about 1,000 millimetres (39 inches) of rain each year. The remaining months are generally drier, though some rain may still occur.

Provinces and municipalities

There are 13 provinces and two special districts in the Boyacá Department, along with 123 municipalities. The area also includes 123 corregimientos, 185 police inspectorates, and many towns and small villages.

Municipalities are organized into 45 notary circuits with 53 notaries public. One main registry is located in the department's capital, Tunja, with 13 other smaller registries across the region.

See also: List of municipalities in Boyacá and Municipalities of Colombia