Chipatá | |
|---|---|
Municipality and town | |
.svg) Flag  Seal | |
 Location of the municipality and town of Chipata in the Santander department of Colombia | |
| Country |  Colombia |
| Department | Santander Department |
| Province | Vélez Province |
| Founded | 8 March 1537 |
| Founded by | Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Belisario Romero Chávez (2016-2019) |
| Area | |
• Municipality and town | 94.17 km2 (36.36 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 14.12 km2 (5.45 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,820 m (5,970 ft) |
| Population (2015) | |
• Municipality and town | 5,088 |
| • Density | 54.03/km2 (139.9/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 688 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Colombia Standard Time) |
| Website | Official website |
Chipatá is a town and municipality in theVélez Province, part of theSantander Department in northeastern Colombia. The urban centre is situated at an altitude of 1,820 metres (5,970 ft) at a distance of 227 kilometres (141 mi) from the department capitalBucaramanga and at 237 kilometres (147 mi) from the national capitalBogotá. The municipality bordersVélez in the south and west,La Paz in the north,San Benito,Güepsa andBarbosa in the east.[1]
Chipatá is named aftercaciqueChipatá and means inChibcha:chi = "our",pa = "father",tá = "farmland"; "farmland of our father".[2][1]
The area of Chipatá was one of the northernmost territories of theMuisca, bordered byGuane territories to the north and east. It was ruled by acacique, who was independent within the looseMuisca Confederation.
Modern Chipatá was the first settlement founded byconquistadorGonzalo Jiménez de Quesada andhis brother, on March 8, 1537, during hisexpedition of conquest.[1]
After the local elections of October 2015, where Belisario Romero Chávez gained the position of mayor with a difference of 44 votes, supporters of his contestant Emilse Santamaría Castillo destroyed a school and molested the former mayor Argemiro Angulo.[3]
The main economical activities of Chipatá areagriculture andlivestockfarming. Among the agricultural products cultivated aremaize,coffee,blackberries,pitaya,aloe, andstevia.[1]
