Garagoa, Boyacá
Encyclopedia
Garagoa is a town and municipality
in Colombia
, located in the Boyacá Department
It covers an area of 150 km², and is located at an altitude of 1750 m above sea level. It is the capital of the Province of Neira
and as of 1993 it has a population of 16,363. It is also the seat of the Diocese
of Garagoa of the Catholic Church.
Garagoa was founded by Captain Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada
in 1539, and was elevated to municipal status in 1809.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, located in the Boyacá Department
Boyacá Department
Boyacá is one of the 32 Departments of Colombia, and the remnant of one of the original nine states of the "United States of Colombia".Boyacá is centrally located within Colombia, almost entirely within the mountains of the Eastern Cordillera to the border with Venezuela, although the western end...
It covers an area of 150 km², and is located at an altitude of 1750 m above sea level. It is the capital of the Province of Neira
Neira Province
The Neira Province is a subregion of the Colombian Department of Boyacá. The subregion is formed by 6 municipalities.-Municipalities:Chinavita • Garagoa • Macanal • Pachavita • San Luis de Gaceno • Santa María-References:...
and as of 1993 it has a population of 16,363. It is also the seat of the Diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of Garagoa of the Catholic Church.
Garagoa was founded by Captain Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada
Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada
Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada was a Spanish explorer and conquistador in Colombia. He explored the northern part of South America. While successful in many of his exploits, acquiring massive amounts of gold and emeralds, he ended his career disastrously; and has been suggested as a possible model...
in 1539, and was elevated to municipal status in 1809.