View source for Boyacá Department

{{Short description|Department of Colombia}}
{{Other uses|Boyacá (disambiguation){{!}}Boyacá}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->| name               = Department of Boyacá
| native_name        = Departamento de Boyacá
| native_name_lang   = es<!-- ISO 639-2 code -->
| type               = [[Departments of Colombia|Department]]
| image_skyline      = Ritacuba .jpg
| image_alt          = 
| image_caption      = The [[Sierra Nevada del Cocuy]]
| image_map1         = Boyaca Topographic 2.png
| map_caption1       = Topography of the department
| image_flag         = Flag of Boyacá Department.svg
| flag_alt           = 
| image_shield       = Escudo de Boyacá.svg
| shield_alt         = 
| nickname           = 
| motto              = {{force singular}} ''Boyacá, Duty of Everyone''<br /><small>([[spanish language|Spanish:]] ''Boyacá, Deber de todos'')</small>
| anthem             = "Himno de Boyacá"<div style="display:inline-block;margin-top:0.4em;"></div>
| image_map          = Boyaca in Colombia (mainland).svg
| map_alt            = 
| map_caption        = Location of Boyacá in Colombia
| coordinates        = {{coord|5|32|N|73|22|W|region:CO_type:adm2nd|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint      = 
| coordinates_footnotes = 
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|Colombia}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[Regions of Colombia|Region]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Andean Region (Colombia)|Andean Region]]
| parts_type         = Largest city
| parts_style        = para
| p1                 = 
| established_title  = [[Departments of Colombia|Department]]
| established_date   = 1824
| established_title1 = [[Viceroyalty of New Granada|Province]]
| established_date1  = 1539
| blank_name_sec1    = [[Provinces of Colombia|Provinces]]
| blank_info_sec1    = 13
| blank1_name_sec1   = [[Municipalities of Colombia|Municipalities]]
| blank1_info_sec1   = 123
| founder            = 
| named_for          = 
| seat_type          = [[Capital city|Capital]]
| seat               = [[Tunja]]
| government_footnotes = 
| leader_party       = [[Colombian Liberal Party|Liberal]] and [[Green Alliance (Colombia)|Green Alliance]]
| leader_title       = Governor
| leader_name        = [[Carlos Andrés Amaya]]<br>{{small|(2016-2019)}}
| unit_pref          = Metric
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="Localizacion">{{Cite web|title= Boyacá Nuestro Departamento: Localización: Posición Geográfica|publisher=Gobernación del Boyacá|url=http://www.boyaca.gov.co/?idcategoria=1285|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130114112452/http://boyaca.gov.co/?idcategoria=1285|archive-date=14 January 2013|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Maher-Statistics">{{Cite book|editor=Maher, Joanne|year=2009|chapter=Colombia: Statistical Survey|title=Europa World Yearbook 2009|volume=1|location=London|publisher=Routledge|page=1347|isbn=978-1-85743-541-2|display-editors=etal}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 23189
| area_rank          = [[List of Colombian Departments by area|20th]]
| area_land_km2      = 
| area_water_km2     = 
| area_water_percent = 
| area_note          = 
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m        = 
| population_footnotes = <ref name="Largest cities or towns">{{Cite web|url= http://www.dane.gov.co/files/investigaciones/poblacion/proyepobla06_20/Municipal_area_1985-2020.xls|title= Estimaciones de Población 1985 – 2005 y Proyecciones de Población 2005 – 2020 Total Municipal por Área (estimate)|publisher= Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística|access-date= 29 March 2014}}</ref>
| population_total   = 1217376
| population_as_of   = 2018
| population_rank    = [[List of Colombian Departments by population|13th]]
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_note    = 
| demographics_type1 = GDP
| demographics1_footnotes = <ref>{{citation|title=Producto Interno Bruto por departamento |url=https://www.dane.gov.co/files/operaciones/PIB/departamental/anex-PIBDep-TotalDepartamento-2022pr.xlsx|website=www.dane.gov.co}}</ref>
| demographics1_title1 = Total
| demographics1_info1 = [[Colombian peso|COP]] 38,858 billion<br />([[US$]] 9.1 billion)
| timezone1          = [[UTC-05]]
| postal_code_type   = 
| postal_code        = 
| area_code_type     = 
| area_code          = 
| iso_code           = [[ISO 3166-2:CO|CO-BOY]]
| blank_name_sec2    = [[Human Development Index|HDI]]
| blank_info_sec2    = 0.780<ref name="GlobalDataLab">{{Cite web|url=https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/|title=Sub-national HDI – Area Database – Global Data Lab|website=hdi.globaldatalab.org|language=en|access-date=2018-09-13}}</ref><br/>{{color|#0c0|high}} · [[List of Colombian departments by Human Development Index|12th of 33]]
| website            = {{URL|http://www.boyaca.gov.co/|Official website}}
| footnotes          = 
}}

{{Historical populations
|type =
|footnote = Source:<ref>{{cite web|title=Reloj de Población|url=http://www.dane.gov.co/reloj/|website=DANE|publisher=Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadísitica|access-date=6 July 2017|archive-date=16 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180116020433/http://www.dane.gov.co/reloj/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|1973 | 1077361
|1985 | 1209739
|1993 | 1315579
|2005 | 1255311
|2018 | 1217376
}}

'''Boyacá''' ({{IPA|es|boʝaˈka}}) is one of the thirty-two [[departments of Colombia]], and the remnant of [[Boyacá State]], one of the original nine states of the "[[United States of Colombia]]".

Boyacá is centrally located within Colombia, almost entirely within the [[mountain]]s of the [[Cordillera Oriental, Colombia|Eastern Cordillera]] to the border with [[Venezuela]], although the western end of the department extends to the [[Magdalena River]] at the town of [[Puerto Boyacá, Boyacá|Puerto Boyacá]]. Boyacá borders to the north with the Department of [[Santander Department|Santander]], to the northeast with the [[Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela]] and [[Norte de Santander]], to the east with the departments of [[Arauca Department|Arauca]] and [[Casanare Department|Casanare]]. To the south, Boyacá borders the department of [[Cundinamarca Department|Cundinamarca]] and to the west with the Department of [[Antioquia Department|Antioquia]] covering a total area of {{Convert|23189|sqkm|sqmi|0}}.<ref name="Maher-Statistics" /> The capital of Boyacá is the city of [[Tunja]].

Boyacá is known as "The Land of Freedom" because this region was the scene of a series of battles which led to Colombia's independence from [[Spain]]. The first one took place on 25 July 1819 in the Pantano de Vargas and the final and decisive battle known as the [[Battle of Boyacá]] was fought on 7 August 1819 at Puente de Boyacá.

Boyacá is home to three [[university|universities]]: the [[Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia]] (UPTC), the [[Universidad de Boyacá]] (UNIBOYACA), and the [[Saint Thomas Aquinas University]].

== Etymology ==
The word ''Boyacá'' derived from the [[Chibcha language|Chibcha]] word "''Bojacá''" which means "Near the ''cacique''", or "Region of the royal mantle".

== History ==
[[File:Paso del ejército del Libertador por el Páramo de Pisba.jpg|thumb|left|270px|''El Libertador'' [[Simón Bolívar]] crossing the ''[[Páramo]] de [[Pisba]]''.]]
The territory of present-day Boyaca was during the [[Pre-Columbian]] time the domain of the [[Muisca people|Muisca]] [[indigenous peoples in Colombia|indigenous peoples]]. The Muisca under the chiefdom of the ''[[zaque]]'' of [[Tunja|Hunza]] lived mainly by agriculture and mining [[gold]] and [[emerald]]s.

The first [[Europe]]an to discover the area was the Spaniard [[Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada]] who conquered the northern Muisca living in the area led by last ''zaque'' [[Aquiminzaque]] and distributed the land in [[encomienda]]s and forced the indigenous people to work for him.

In 1539, [[Gonzalo Suárez Rendón]], a Spanish [[list of conquistadors in Colombia|conquistador]], founded the city of [[Tunja]] and other sites where the indigenous people previously had their villages. Tunja became one of the main political and economic centers for the Spanish during the [[Viceroyalty of New Granada]].

During the 19th century, Boyacá was battleground for numerous confrontations between the [[Royalist (Spanish American Revolution)|royalist]] and patriot armies led by [[Simón Bolívar]] during the [[Spanish American wars of independence|Spanish colonies' war of independence]] from Spain. Two of the most decisive battles were the [[Battle of Boyacá]] and the [[Battle of Vargas Swamp]] (1819) won by the patriot forces against the royalists. In 1824 [[Gran Colombia]] created the [[Boyacá Department (Gran Colombia)]].

After the creation of the [[Granadine Confederation]] by 1858 the territory of now Boyaca became the [[Boyacá State|Sovereign State of Boyacá]]. It was later rearranged in territory and administration and renamed as "Department of Boyaca" after a series of [[civil wars]] like the [[Colombian Civil War (1860–1862)]] and the [[Thousand Days War]] that struggled over a centralist or federalist system and political instability that changed to many constitutions (such as the Constitution of 1886), Boyaca finally acquired its current definition as territory.

== Geography ==
[[File:VillaDeLeyva-bynight.jpg|right|250px|thumbnail|[[Villa de Leyva]]]]
[[File:Río Surba en Duitama corregimiento la trinidad.jpg|thumb|Río surba en la vereda la trinidad Duitama]] [[Río Surba]] 
[[File:Rabanal.JPG|thumb|right|250px|Páramo of Rabanal, Boyacá]]
[[File:Laguna de Tota.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Satellite view of Lake Tota. [[Aquitania, Boyacá|Aquitania]] is the town in the east side of the lake]]

Boyacá is located in the [[Andean Region (Colombia)|Andean Region]] in central Colombia, over the [[Cordillera Oriental (Colombia)|Cordillera Oriental mountain range]]<ref name="Aspectos">{{Cite web|title=Boyacá Nuestro Departamento: Aspectos Geográfícos|publisher=Gobernación del Boyacá|url=http://www.boyaca.gov.co/?idcategoria=3527|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130114113904/http://boyaca.gov.co/?idcategoria=3527|archive-date=14 January 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> and covers a total area of 23,189&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>.<ref name="Maher-Statistics" /> It borders other [[Departments of Colombia|Colombian departments]] as follows: to the north [[Santander Department|Santander]] and [[Norte de Santander]], to the east [[Arauca Department|Arauca]] and [[Casanare Department|Casanare]], to the south [[Cundinamarca Department|Cundinamarca]] and a small part of [[Meta Department|Meta]], and to the west [[Antioquia Department|Antioquia]] and [[Caldas Department|Caldas]].<ref name="Localizacion" /> It has a territorial dispute with Norte de Santander and Cundinamarca.{{Citation needed|reason=should be settled already|date=February 2013}}

The department of Boyacá covers a small portion of the [[Middle Magdalena valley]] of the [[Magdalena River]] to the west, the Cordillera Oriental mountain range with altitudes of 5,380 m above sea level ([[Sierra Nevada del Cocuy]] with 25 snow peaks), flat highland plateaux, and another small portion of territory by the eastern [[Llanos]] plains. Among its most prominent geographical features are the [[Range of the Zorro]], [[Serrania de las Quinchas]] and the Andean plateaus of [[Rusia Plateau|Rusia]], [[Guantivá Plateau|Guantivá]], [[Pisba National Natural Park|Pisba]], [[Chontales Plateau|Chontales]] and [[Rechíniga Plateau|Rechiniga]].

The [[Altiplano Cundiboyacense]], shared with the department of [[Cundinamarca Department|Cundinamarca]], is densely populated with numerous valleys. The southern part is the [[Bogotá savanna]]. Boyacá is subdivided into 123 municipalities.

Many rivers originate in Boyacá, the most important are the [[Chicamocha River]] and [[Arauca River]] and tributaries to other important rivers such as the [[Magdalena River|Magdalena]] and [[Meta River|Meta]].

Boyacá also has numerous lakes which include [[Lake Tota]], [[Lake Sochagota]] and [[Lake Fúquene]], shared with the department of Cundinamarca, the artificial [[Chivor Reservoir]] and others.

== National parks ==
{{main|List of national parks of Colombia}}

[[El Cocuy National Park|El Cocuy]] and [[Pisba National Park]]s are located in the northeast of Boyacá. Pisba National Park is shared with the department of Arauca. The flora and fauna sanctuary of [[Lake Iguaque]] is situated in the centre of the department. The most beautiful [[páramo]] in the world, [[Ocetá Páramo]], is in northeast Boyacá.

=== Climate ===
[[File:Iglesia de Guateque, durante la lluvia.jpg|thumb|[[Guateque]], in [[Tenza Valley|southeastern Boyacá]] during a rainy season]]
The central area of the highlands has two rainy seasons; the first between April and June, and a second between October and November with an average of {{convert|1000|mm|in}} of rainfall per year. The rest of the year is considered to be the dry seasons with intermittent rainfall.

== Provinces and municipalities ==
[[File:Tunja02.jpg|right|250px|thumbnail|[[Tunja]], capital of Boyacá]] 
[[File:Monumento pantano de vargas, completo. 2006.JPG|thumb|250px|The Lancers Monument]]
{{See also|List of municipalities in Boyacá|Municipalities of Colombia}}
There are 13 provinces and two special districts in the Boyacá Department, listed below with their 123 municipalities. The department also has 123 [[corregimiento]]s, 185 [[Colombian National Police|police inspectorates]] and numerous towns and small villages spread throughout the territory.

Municipalities are also grouped into 45 notary circuits with 53 notaries public. One circuit main registry based in the capital of the department; [[Tunja]] and 13 other minor registries spread across the territory.

{|
|valign="top" width="33%"|

=== [[Central Boyacá Province|Central]] ===
#[[Cómbita]]
#[[Cucaita]]
#[[Chíquiza]]
#[[Chivatá]]
#[[Motavita]]
#[[Oicatá]]
#[[Siachoque]]
#[[Samacá]]
#[[Sora, Boyacá|Sora]]
#[[Soracá]]
#[[Sotaquirá]]
#[[Toca, Boyacá|Toca]]
#'''[[Tunja]]'''
#[[Tuta, Boyacá|Tuta]]
#[[Ventaquemada]]

=== [[Northern Boyacá Province|Northern]] ===
#[[Boavita]]
#[[Covarachía]]
#[[La Uvita]]
#[[San Mateo, Boyacá|San Mateo]] 
#[[Sativanorte]] 
#[[Sativasur]] 
#[[Soatá, Boyacá|Soatá]] 
#[[Susacón]] 
#[[Tipacoque]]

=== [[Western Boyacá Province|Western]] ===
#[[Briceño, Boyacá|Briceño]]
#[[Buenavista, Boyacá|Buenavista]] 
#[[Caldas, Boyacá|Caldas]] 
#[[Chiquinquirá]]
#[[Coper, Boyacá|Coper]] 
#[[La Victoria, Boyacá|La Victoria]] 
#[[Maripí]]
#[[Muzo]]
#[[Otanche]] 
#[[Pauna]]
#[[Quipama]] 
#[[Saboyá]]
#[[San Miguel de Sema]] 
#[[San Pablo de Borbur]] 
#[[Tununguá]]

=== [[Eastern Boyacá Province|Eastern]] ===
#[[Almeida, Boyacá|Almeida]] 
#[[Chivor]] 
#[[Guateque]] 
#[[Guayatá]] 
#[[La Capilla]] 
#[[Somondoco]] 
#[[Sutatenza]] 
#[[Tenza]]
|valign="top" width="33%"|

=== [[Gutiérrez Province|Gutiérrez]] ===
#[[Chiscas, Boyacá|Chiscas]] 
#[[El Cocuy]] 
#[[El Espino, Boyacá|El Espino]] 
#[[Guacamayas, Boyacá|Guacamayas]]
#[[Güicán]] 
#[[Panqueba]]

=== [[La Libertad Province|La Libertad]] ===
#[[Labranzagrande]] 
#[[Pajarito, Boyacá|Pajarito]] 
#[[Paya, Boyacá|Paya]] 
#[[Pisba, Boyacá|Pisba]]

=== [[Lengupá Province|Lengupá]] ===
#[[Berbeo]]
#[[Campohermoso]] 
#[[Miraflores, Boyacá|Miraflores]] 
#[[Páez, Boyaca|Páez]] 
#[[San Eduardo, Boyacá|San Eduardo]] 
#[[Zetaquirá]]

=== [[Márquez Province|Márquez]] ===
#[[Boyacá, Boyacá|Boyacá]]
#[[Ciénega, Boyacá|Ciénega]] 
#[[Jenesano]]
#[[Nuevo Colón, Boyacá|Nuevo Colón]] 
#[[Ramiriquí]]
#[[Rondón, Boyacá|Rondón]] 
#[[Tibaná]] 
#[[Turmequé]]
#[[Úmbita]] 
#[[Viracachá]]

=== [[Neira Province|Neira]] ===
#[[Chinavita]]
#[[Garagoa, Boyacá|Garagoa]] 
#[[Macanal]] 
#[[Pachavita]]
#[[San Luis de Gaceno]] 
#[[Santa María, Boyacá|Santa María]]

=== [[Ricaurte Province|Ricaurte]] ===
#[[Arcabuco]] 
#[[Chitaraque]] 
#[[Gachantivá]]
#[[Moniquirá]]
#[[Ráquira]]
#[[Sáchica]] 
#[[San José de Pare]]
#[[Santa Sofía, Boyacá|Santa Sofía]] 
#[[Santana, Boyacá|Santana]] 
#[[Sutamarchán]] 
#[[Tinjacá]] 
#[[Togüí, Boyacá|Togüí]]
#[[Villa de Leyva]] 
|valign="top" width="33%"|

=== [[Sugamuxi Province|Sugamuxi]] ===
#[[Aquitania, Boyacá|Aquitania]] 
#[[Cuítiva, Boyacá|Cuítiva]]
#[[Firavitoba]]
#[[Gámeza]]
#[[Iza, Boyacá|Iza]] 
#[[Mongua]]
#[[Monguí]] 
#[[Nobsa]] 
#[[Pesca]] 
#[[Sogamoso]] 
#[[Tibasosa]]
#[[Tópaga, Boyacá|Tópaga]] 
#[[Tota, Boyacá|Tota]]

=== [[Tundama Province|Tundama]] ===
#[[Belén, Boyacá|Belén]] 
#[[Busbanzá]] 
#[[Cerinza]] 
#[[Corrales, Boyacá|Corrales]] 
#[[Duitama]]
#[[Floresta, Boyacá|Floresta]] 
#[[Paipa]]
#[[Santa Rosa de Viterbo, Boyacá|Santa Rosa de Viterbo]] 
#[[Tutazá]]

=== [[Valderrama Province|Valderrama]] ===
#[[Betéitiva]]
#[[Chita, Boyacá|Chita]] 
#[[Jericó, Boyacá|Jericó]]
#[[Paz de Río]]
#[[Socotá]] 
#[[Socha]] 
#[[Tasco, Boyacá|Tasco]]

=== [[Frontier District, Boyacá|Frontier District]] ===
#[[Cubará]]

===Special Handling Zone===
#[[Puerto Boyacá, Boyacá|Puerto Boyacá]]
|}

== See also ==
{{Portal|Colombia}}
* [[Postage stamps of Boyacá]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Boyacá Department}}
{{EB1911 poster|Boyacá}}
* {{in lang|es}} [http://www.excelsio.net Excelsio – journal from Boyacá]

{{Municipalities boyaca department}}
{{Departments of Colombia}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boyaca Department}}
[[Category:Boyacá Department| ]]
[[Category:Departments of Colombia]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1858]]
[[Category:1858 establishments in the Granadine Confederation]]