Ocaña, Norte de Santander

santa martha magdalena
Municipality and town

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Location of the municipality and town of Ocaña, Norte de Santander in the Norte de Santander Department of Colombia.
santa martha magdalena
Location in Colombia
Coordinates: 8°14′N 73°21′W / 8.233°N 73.350°W / 8.233; -73.350
Country  Colombia
Department Norte de Santander Department
Founded 1570
Incorporated 1857
Government
 • Mayor Miriam Prado Carrascal
Area
 • Total 672.27 km2 (259.56 sq mi)
Elevation 1,202 m (3,944 ft)
Population (2015)
 • Total 98,229
 • Density 150/km2 (380/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Ocañero
Time zone UTC-5 (Colombia Standard Time)
Area code(s) 57 + 7
Website Official website (in Spanish)

Ocaña is a town and municipality in the Colombian Department of Norte de Santander. Ocaña is the second largest populated center of this department. It played an important role during the Independence of Colombia from the Spanish monarchy.

History

The city was founded on the 14th December of 1570 by Captain Francisco Fernández de Contreras, as part of the third populating project of the east, patronised by the Audiencia y Cabildo de Pamplona. The objective of the foundation was the opening of a route which would connect the urban centre Pamplona with the Caribbean Sea and the centre of the new kingdom. Given the geographic location of the settlement, the Audiencia de Santafé, presided over by Andrés Díaz Venero de Leiva, decided that the new town would fall under the jurisdiction of the province of Santa Maria, the governor of which was, at the time, Don Pedro Fernández del Busto. The name Ocaña was given to the new town to honour Fernández del Busto, who was born in Ocaña, Spain. The native peoples in the region were those traditionally called Hacaritamas and those called Cultura Mosquito (Mosquito Culture) or Bajomagdalenense.

Geography and climate

  1. Location: 8°14′N 73°21′W / 8.233°N 73.350°W / 8.233; -73.350. The city of Ocaña is 610 km from Bogotá.
  2. Surface: 460 km2, 2.2% of the North Santander Department total area
  3. Height: 1,202 meters on the level of the sea Ocaña are on the Andean Eastern mountain range. The 2,600 mountains surround that reach msnm. Its average temperature is 22 °C.

Economy

The main economic activities are agriculture, the livestock raising, commerce, small industries and mining, with silver operation, copper and iron. The city is served by the Aguas Claras airport.

See also

References

Coordinates: 8°14′N 73°21′W / 8.233°N 73.350°W / 8.233; -73.350

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