Covarachía

Covarachía
Municipality and town
Flag
Location of the municipality and town of Covarachía in the Boyacá Department of Colombia
Country	Colombia
Department	Boyacá Department
Province	Northern Boyacá Province
Founded	10 February 1823
Founded by	Juan Zámano & Felipe Pérez
Government
• Mayor	Wilson Isay Moreno Vega (2020-2023)
Area
• Municipality and town	103 km2 (40 sq mi)
Elevation	2,320 m (7,610 ft)
Population  (2015)
• Municipality and town	2,861
• Density	28/km2 (72/sq mi)
• Urban	516
Time zone	UTC-5 (Colombia Standard Time)
Website	Official website

Covarachía is a town and municipality in the Northern Boyacá Province, part of the Colombian Department of Boyacá. The urban centre is located at 208 kilometres (129 mi) from the department capital Tunja at an altitude of 2,320 metres (7,610 ft) in the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes. The municipality borders San José de Miranda and Capitanejo (both Santander) in the north, Tipacoque in the south, Capitanejo in the east and in the west the municipalities Onzaga and San Joaquín (Santander).

Etymology

The name Covarachía is a combination of Spanish and Chibcha; "cave of the Moon", with Chía referring to the Moon goddess Chía.

History

Covarachía was inhabited by indigenous people during the Herrera Period, and later, in the northeasternmost part of the Muisca Confederation, ruled by a cacique. Covarachía is bordered by the Chicamocha River and the territories to the east of the town were inhabited by the Lache people. The Muisca were the people who lived on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense before the Spanish conquest of the Muisca in the 1530s.

Modern Covarachía, called Ricaurte between 1858 and 1869, was founded on February 10, 1823, by Juan Zámano and Felipe Pérez.

Economy

Main economical activities of Covarachía are agriculture and livestock farming. Important agricultural products are tobacco, fique, pineapples, yuca, maize, peas, sugarcane, tomatoes and melons.