Tunja

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Ciudad de Tunja
—  City  —

Flag
Coat of arms
Location of Tunja in the department of Boyacá
Ciudad de Tunja is located in Colombia
Ciudad de Tunja
Location in Colombia
Coordinates: 5°32′N 73°22′W / 5.533°N 73.367°W / 5.533; -73.367Coordinates: 5°32′N 73°22′W / 5.533°N 73.367°W / 5.533; -73.367
Country Colombia
Department Boyacá
Province Central Boyacá Province
Founded August 6, 1539
Established March 29, 1541
Government
 • Type Municipality
 • Mayor Arturo Montejo
Area
 • City 118 km2 (45.6 sq mi)
 • Urban 13 km2 (5 sq mi)
Elevation 2,820 m (9,252 ft)
Population (2011)
 • City 171.082
 • Density 1.4/km2 (3.8/sq mi)
  [1]
Area code(s) 150001-150009
Website tunja.gov.co

Tunja (Spanish pronunciation: [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.[1] 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.

Contents

[edit] 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.

[edit] Security and living conditions

Tunja has the lowest homicide rate in Colombia and below average in Latin America according to the latest report from the International Centre of the Prevention of Crime for 2010[2] [3], which is 7 with respect to the most dangerous city that is 128 crimes per hundred thousand inhabitants. According to other sources, this value is four times lower than the national average[4]. Tunja is an example of a safe city.[5]

[edit] 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 Muiscas 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.

[edit] Tourism

Emerald Quarter
Unicentro's Shopping mall, 3d district
Santander Park at night, 4th district
Overview of the eastern tribune in the Independence Stadium. 7th district

[edit] Relevant historical and touristic sites

The street are called in accord to 472[6] and google[7] nomenclatures; (C:Calle), (K:Carrera), (S:South), (E: East), (A: Ave).

Southern Sector

English Name Spanish Name Address
Brigde of Boyaca Puente de Boyacá Rural Area (La Lajita)
Flower Pot Monument Los Tiestos K14-C16
Mushroom Monument Los Hongos A 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
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[8] Catedral Basílica Metropolitana Santiago de Tunja Bolivar Square
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints[9] La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Últimos Días C12-K10
Our Lady of Miracles Church Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Milagro (El Topo) K15-C19
St. Augustine Cloister Claustro de San Agustín K9-C23
Cojines del Zaque Cojines del Zaque K4-C12
Republic Forest Bosque de la República K11-C14
Freedom Obelisk Obelisco de la Libertad K10-C14
City Founder Palace and Museum Casa Museo del Fundador Bolívar Square
Juan de Castellanos' Palace and Museum Casa Museo Juan de Castellanos Bolívar Square
Don Juan de Vargas' Palace and Museum Casa Museo Don Juan de Vargas K9-C20
Bolivar Square Plaza de Bolívar K9-C19
Tower Palace (Governorate Palace of Boyacá) Palacio de la Torre Bolívar Square K10-C20
Rojas Pinilla's House Casa Cultural Rojas Pinilla K11-C16
Martyr's Wall Monument Paredón de los Mártires K9-C14
La Pila del Mono's Fountain La Pila del Mono K9-C20
Royal Palace (curently a shopping mall) Plaza Real K14-C20
St. Thomas University Building Edificio Universidad Santo Tomás K12-C19
Santander Park Parque Santander A Colón
Pinzón Park Parque Pinzón K8-C23
Maldonado Park Parque Maldonado C10-C30
La Esperanza Park Parque La Esperanza
Hoyo del Trigo Park Parque Hoyo del Trigo C22-K12

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 Monumento a la raza indígena La Glorieta
Campus of the Uptc and its natural reserve Campus de la Uptc y su reserva natural A Norte, UPTC
Museum of Natural History Museo de Historia Natural A Norte, UPTC
Museum of Antropology Museo de Antropología A Norte, UPTC
The Independence Stadium Estadio de La Independencia A Olímpica
Olympic Village Villa Olímpica A Olímpica

[edit] Festivals

  • International Festival of Culture [10]
  • Holy Week (Semana Santa) [11]
  • Aguinaldo Boyacense [12]
    11th Street, Downtown
Bolivar Square, Downtown.

[edit] Shopping

[edit] 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 more.

  • El Cid - an indoor shopping center with many small shops
  • El Rey
  • Teatro Boyacá
  • Cinema Boyacá
Train station, the historic center DHC Tunja

[edit] Shopping Malls

Unicentro is an American style shopping center that features a Carrefour and a Cinemark Theatres.

[edit] Traditional Markets

Plaza de Marcado del Norte Plaza de Marcado del Sur

[edit] Notable people

[edit] 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:

Boyacá Bridge which sealed the independence of Colombia
North Central Avenue, overlooking the historic center
  • 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

[edit] 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:

[edit] 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.


[edit] Sister cities[citation needed]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Población de Tunja "estimated 2011". D.A.N.E.. http://www.dane.gov.co/files/censo2005/regiones/boyaca/tunja.pdf Población de Tunja. Retrieved 2011-11-30. 
  2. ^ http://www.tunja.gov.co/?idcategoria=8320 Page officiel de la municipalité en espagnol
  3. ^ http://www.crime-prevention-intl.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Publications/Crime_Prevention_and_Community_Safety_ANG.pdf, International Centre of the Prevention of Crime, International report Crime prevention and Community safety: Trends and perspectives 2010
  4. ^ http://m.eltiempo.com/opinion/columnistas/eduardoposadacrb/aprender-de-tunja/8792466 Eduardo Posada Carb, journal El Tiempo, Colombia 2011
  5. ^ http://www.eltiempo.com/revista-credencial/ARTICULO-WEB-NEW_NOTA_INTERIOR-8731420.html Review The Safe cities in Colombia. December 2011 in Spanish
  6. ^ http://www.codigopostal4-72.com.co/codigosPostales/#app=8e8&4817-selectedIndex=4 472 La Red Postal
  7. ^ http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=es&gs_upl=112220l112220l1l112579l1l1l0l0l0l0l0l0ll0l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1536&bih=810&q=tunja&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x8e6a7c23803430d7:0x2026c9d28de5eddc,Tunja,+Boyac%C3%A1&gl=co&ei=k3zVTtHCBdG0hAe16tlt&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=4&ved=0CE8Q8gEwAw Tunja Google Maps
  8. ^ http://www.gcatholic.com/churches/southamerica/1131.htm Nombre oficial de la Catedral de Tunja
  9. ^ http://lds.org/?lang=eng
  10. ^ "www.festivalinternacionaldelacultura.com". www.festivalinternacionaldelacultura.com. http://www.festivalinternacionaldelacultura.com. Retrieved 2010-04-17. 
  11. ^ "Semana Santa". www.tunja.gov. http://www.tunja.gov.co/?idcategoria=5166. Retrieved 2010-04-17. 
  12. ^ "Aguinaldo Boyacense La Fiesta Grande de Boyacá para Colombia". www.tunja.gov. http://www.tunja.gov.co/?idcategoria=7440. Retrieved 2010-04-17. 

[edit] External links


See also: List of municipalities in Boyacá
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