Samacá

Samacá
Municipality and town
View of Samacá
Flag
Location of the municipality and town of Samacá in the Boyacá Department of Colombia
Country	Colombia
Department	Boyacá Department
Province	Central Boyacá Province
Founded	1 January 1556
Founded by	Juan de los Barrios
Government
• Mayor	Luis Alberto Aponte Gómez (2020-2023)
Area
• Municipality and town	172.9 km2 (66.8 sq mi)
• Urban	1.2 km2 (0.5 sq mi)
Elevation	2,660 m (8,730 ft)
Population  (2015)
• Municipality and town	19,907
• Density	120/km2 (300/sq mi)
• Urban	5,908
Time zone	UTC-5 (Colombia Standard Time)
Website	Official website

Samacá is a town and municipality in the Central Boyacá Province, part of the Colombian Department of Boyacá. It borders Cucaita, Tunja and Ventaquemada in the east, Ráquira in the west, Sáchica, Sora and Cucaita in the north and Ventaquemada, Ráquira and Guachetá, Cundinamarca in the south.

Etymology

Samacá's original name came from the Chibcha native language of the area. Samacá was a small village before the Spanish conquest of the Muisca. Sa is a noble title; Ma is a proper name; Cá means a sovereign enclosure.

History

Samacá began as a settlement of a large lagoon which was known by the native name of "Lake of Cansicá" or "Valley of the Lake" (la laguna de Cansicá). Around the lagoon were three native settlements called Patagüy, Foacá and Sáchica. Samacá was ruled by the zaque of nearby Hunza and the modern town was founded on January 1, 1556 by Juan de los Barrios.

Economy

The most important activities are farming, cattle, and mining. Samacá produces potatoes, peas, corn, and beet. Coal mining is the largest industry and most of the production of coal is exported. Samacá has a potential for growth; in the last decade the economy has risen tremendously. Samacá is open to international investment.

Born in Samacá

• Pedro Saúl Morales, former professional cyclist
• Jorge Perry, Colombia's first olympic competitor