Tunja
Encyclopedia
Tunja (ˈtuŋxa) is a city and municipality located in the central part of Colombia
, in the region of "Alto Chicomocha". As of the 2005 Census it had 152,419 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Department of Boyacá
and part of the subregion of the Central Boyacá Province
. It is approximately 145 km from Bogotá
, the capital of Colombia, and takes about 2–3 hours to reach by car or bus. Tunja is known for being a center for education and is home to many Colegios (high schools) and universidades (universities). Founded in 1539, it is more than 450 years old, and in addition holds archaeological treasures that predate the colonial era.
Tunja is a tourist destination. In addition to its religious and historical sites it is host to several internationally known festivals and is a jumping-off point for regional tourist destinations such as Villa de Leyva
, Paipa
, and Sierra Nevada del Cocuy
. It is also a stop on the Pan American Highway which connects Tunja to Bogota and Santa Marta and eventually to Northern and Southernmost parts of the Americas.
s tribe.
The city was also the capital of the short lived state of the United Provinces of New Granada
from 1810 to 1816.
Tunja is now a university city; one out of every five inhabitants is a student.
Southern Sector
Eastern Sector
Downtown
Northern Sector
and a Cinemark Theatres
.
Tunja has a large number of colleges, among these is the College of Boyaca, first public school in the territories of Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama and Colombia when these countries were part of Gran Colombia. It was founded on 20 October 1822 by the Vice President Francisco de Paula Santander. Among the most relevant schools are:
The city has two professional football teams. Boyaca Chico's playing in the Colombian Professional Football and Patriots of the Primera B. Both sets play their games at the Estadio La Independencia located north of the city.
The stadium has one of the best Olympic country towns, the facilities were remodeled for the Copa Libertadores 2009, expanding capacity to 20,630 spectators and meeting every specification FIFA.
The city organized in 2008 the South American U-20 Futsal Cup, which the champion was Brazil. Colombia was the fourth since the continental tournament.
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...
, in the region of "Alto Chicomocha". As of the 2005 Census it had 152,419 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Department of Boyacá
Boyacá
Boyacá is the name of a region in Colombia. It may refer to any of:* Boyacá Department* Boyacá Department * Boyacá River* Boyacá Municipality* Battle of Boyacá* Boyacá Chicó F.C.* Boyacá Avenue an avenue in Bogotá...
and part of the subregion of the Central Boyacá Province
Central Boyacá Province
The Central Boyacá Province is a subregion of the Colombian Department of Boyacá. The subsregion is formed by 15 municipalities.-Municipalities:...
. It is approximately 145 km from Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, the capital of Colombia, and takes about 2–3 hours to reach by car or bus. Tunja is known for being a center for education and is home to many Colegios (high schools) and universidades (universities). Founded in 1539, it is more than 450 years old, and in addition holds archaeological treasures that predate the colonial era.
Tunja is a tourist destination. In addition to its religious and historical sites it is host to several internationally known festivals and is a jumping-off point for regional tourist destinations such as Villa de Leyva
Villa de Leyva
Villa de Leyva is a colonial town and municipality, in the Boyacá department of Colombia, part of the subregion of the Ricaurte Province. The town is located some 40 km west of Tunja and has a population of about 9,600 people...
, Paipa
Paipa
Paipa is a town and municipality in the Colombian Department of Boyacá, part of the Tundama Province a subregion of Boyaca.- Location :Paipa is located to 15 km of Duitama...
, and Sierra Nevada del Cocuy
Sierra Nevada del Cocuy
The Sierra Nevada del Cocuy Chita o Guican National Natural Park The Sierra Nevada del Cocuy Chita o Guican National Natural Park The Sierra Nevada del Cocuy Chita o Guican National Natural Park (or Sierra Nevada de Chita or Sierra Nevada de Güicán, is a national park and a set of highlands within...
. It is also a stop on the Pan American Highway which connects Tunja to Bogota and Santa Marta and eventually to Northern and Southernmost parts of the Americas.
Demographics and Geography
Tunja has a population of approximately 160,000 inhabitants and is located in north central Colombia. It has an elevation of 2.820 meters above sea level.History
This Colombian historical city was founded on August 6, 1539 by the Spanish captain, Gonzalo Suarez Rendon, in the domain of "El Zaque", one of the chiefs of the MuiscaMuisca
Muisca was the Chibcha-speaking tribe that formed the Muisca Confederation of the central highlands of present-day Colombia. They were encountered by the Spanish Empire in 1537, at the time of the conquest...
s tribe.
The city was also the capital of the short lived state of the United Provinces of New Granada
United Provinces of New Granada
The United Provinces of New Granada was a country in South America from 1811 to 1816, a period known in Colombian history as the Patria Boba. It was formed from areas of the New Kingdom of Granada. The government was a federation with a parliamentary system, consisting of a weak executive and...
from 1810 to 1816.
Tunja is now a university city; one out of every five inhabitants is a student.
Tourism
Relevant historical and touristic sites
The street are called in accord to 472 and google nomenclatures; (C:Calle), (K:Carrera), (S:South), (E: East), (A: Ave).Southern Sector
| English Name | Spanish Name | Address |
|---|---|---|
| Brigde of Boyaca | Puente de Boyacá Puente de Boyacà Puente de Boyacá is a small bridge located at the Bogota-Tunja highway, 110 km east of Bogotá and 14 km west from Tunja in a valley, crossing Teatinos river... |
Rural Area (La Lajita) |
| Flower Pot Monument | Los Tiestos | K14-C16 |
| Mushroom Monument | Los Hongos | Av. Oriental |
| St. Martin's Church | Iglesia de San Martín | Libertador Neighborhood |
| Bullring | Plaza de Toros | K8-C13S |
Eastern Sector
| English Name | Spanish Name | Address |
|---|---|---|
| Botanical Garden | Jardín Botánico | BTS Highway (Autopista Circunvalar BTS) |
| St. Anthony's Church | Iglesia de San Antonio | San Antonio Neighborhood |
| Governorate Viaduct | Viaducto Paseo de La Gobernación | BTS-A.Olímpica |
| JNN Viaduct | Viaducto Jose Nepomuceno Niño | C24-Universitaria |
Downtown
| English name | Spanish name | Address |
|---|---|---|
| Las Nieves Church and Square | Iglesia y Plazoleta de las Nieves | K10-C22 |
| The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Últimos Días | C12-K10-32 Barrio Aquimín The Forest of the republic |
| St. Ignatius' Church | Iglesia de San Ignacio | K10-C18 |
| *St. Barbara's Church | Iglesia de Santa Bárbara | K11-C17 |
| St. Dominic's Church | Iglesia de Santo Domingo | K11-C19 |
| St. Laureano's Church | Iglesia de San Laureano | K9-C15 |
| St. Lazarus Hill and Church | Loma e Iglesia de San Lázaro | San Lázaro Neighborhood |
| St. Claire Royal Convent | Convento de Santa Clara la Real | K11-C21 |
| St. Francis Church | Iglesia de San Francisco | K10-21A |
| Cathedral Basilica of St. James the Apostle in Tunja | Catedral Basílica de Santiago Apóstol de Tunja | Bolivar Square |
| Our Lady of Miracles Church | Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Milagro (El Topo) | K15-C19 |
| St. Augustine Cloister | Claustro de San Agustín | K9-C23 |
-
- Historical Monuments
- Cojines del Zaque
- Republic Forest
- Freedom Obelisk
- Santander Park
- Pinzón Park
- Maldonado Park
- La Esperanza Park
- Hoyo del Trigo Park
- City Founder Palace and Museum
- Juan de Castellanos' Palace and Museum
- Don Juan de Vargas' Palace and Museum
- Bolivar Square
- Tower Palace (Governorate Palace of Boyacá)
- Rojas Pinilla's House
- Martyr's Wall Monument
- La Pila del Mono's Fountain
- Royal Palace (curently a shopping mall)
- St. Thomas University Building
- Historical Monuments
Northern Sector
| English name | Spanish name | Address |
|---|---|---|
| St. Agnes' Church | Iglesia de Santa Inés | C42-A Norte |
| Hunzahua's Stream Pool | Pozo de Hunzahúa | A Norte, UPTC |
- Indigenous Race Monument
- Uptc Campus and Natural Reserve
- Museum of Natural History
- Museum of Antropology
- The Independence Stadium
- Olympic Village
Festivals
- International Festival of Culture
- Holy Week (Semana Santa)
- Aguinaldo Boyacense
Downtown
People have been shopping in downtown Tunja for over 450 years. There you can find gift shops, bakeries, bars, discotheques, cafés, clothing stores, and much more.- El Cid - an indoor shopping center with many small shops
- El Rey
- Teatro Boyacá
- Cinema Boyacá
- Unicentro
- Centro Norte
Shopping Malls
Unicentro is an American style shopping center that features a CarrefourCarrefour
Carrefour S.A. is an international hypermarket chain headquartered in Levallois-Perret, France. It is one of the largest hypermarket chains in the world...
and a Cinemark Theatres
Cinemark Theatres
Cinemark Theatres is a chain of movie theatres owned by Cinemark Holdings, Inc. in North and South America and Taiwan. It has its headquarters in Plano, Texas.Cinemark's Missions Statement Reads as follows:...
.
Notable people
- Josefa del Castillo y Guevara
- Gustavo Rojas PinillaGustavo Rojas PinillaGustavo Rojas Pinilla was a Colombian politician, military officer, General of the Army and President of Colombia between 1953 and 1957.- Biographic data :...
- Jose Joaquin Ortiz
- Rafael Humberto Moreno Durán
- Pedro Alvarez Espinosa
- Carlos Arturo Torres
- Guillermo Prieto La Rotta
Education
Tunja well as being important historically, is also notable for his great contribution to education in Colombia, despite being a small town considered a large part of its population are students between high school and university.Tunja has a large number of colleges, among these is the College of Boyaca, first public school in the territories of Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama and Colombia when these countries were part of Gran Colombia. It was founded on 20 October 1822 by the Vice President Francisco de Paula Santander. Among the most relevant schools are:
- Colegio de Boyacá
- Institucion Educativa San Jeronimo Emiliani
- Colegio Salesiano Maldonado
- Colegio INEM Carlos Arturo Torres
- Colegio de la Presentación
- Gimnasio Campestre del Norte.
- Colegio Municipal Silvino Rodríguez
- Normal Superior Santiago de Tunja.
- Escuela Normal Femenina "Leonor Álvarez Pinzón"
- Colegio Los Angeles
- Colegio Militar Juan José Rondón
- Colegio de Nuestra Señora del Rosario
- Colegio Gustavo Rojas Pinilla.
- Colegio Andino
Universities
Tunja is the location of one of four national universities in the country, Pedagogical and Technological University of Colombia was founded by General Gustavo Rojas Pinilla. Other universities are:- Pedagogical and Technological University of ColombiaPedagogical and Technological University of ColombiaThe Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia , also called Uptc, is a state, national and public university, located primarily in Tunja, Sogamoso, Duitama and Chiquinquirá, four cities of the Colombian Department of Boyacá....
- University of BoyacaUniversity of BoyacaThe University of Boyaca is a private, coeducational university based in the city of Tunja, Boyacá, Colombia.-External links:* official site...
- Universidad Santo Tomás
- Escuela Superior de Administración Pública E.S.A.P.
- Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia (UNAD)
- Fundacion Universitaria Juan de Castellanos
- Corporación Universitaria Remington(CUR-Cread Boyacá)
- Universidad Antonio Nariño
- Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana de Colombia
- Instituto Universitario de la Música y las Artes
Sports
Overview of the Independence Stadium before the renovation.The city has two professional football teams. Boyaca Chico's playing in the Colombian Professional Football and Patriots of the Primera B. Both sets play their games at the Estadio La Independencia located north of the city.
The stadium has one of the best Olympic country towns, the facilities were remodeled for the Copa Libertadores 2009, expanding capacity to 20,630 spectators and meeting every specification FIFA.
The city organized in 2008 the South American U-20 Futsal Cup, which the champion was Brazil. Colombia was the fourth since the continental tournament.
Sister cities
Bogota, Colombia Florencia, Colombia Valledupar, Colombia Guayaquil, Ecuador Juliaca, Peru Sucre, Bolivia Cucuta, Colombia Barcelona, Venezuela Corrientes, ArgentinaExternal links
- Tunja entry in Wikipedia Español
- Tunja Distrito Cultural y Turístico www.expotunja.com
- http://tunja.gov.co/ City of Tunja Municipal Government