Tasco, Boyacá

For the brand of telescopes, see Tasco.
Not to be confused with Taxco.
Tasco
Municipality and town

View of Tasco

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Location of the municipality and town of Tasco in the Boyacá Department of Colombia
Country  Colombia
Department Boyacá Department
Province Valderrama Province
Founded 15 October 1577
Government
  Mayor Nelson García
(2016-2019)
Area
  Municipality and town 167 km2 (64 sq mi)
  Urban 0.3 km2 (0.1 sq mi)
Elevation 2,530 m (8,300 ft)
Population (2015)
  Municipality and town 6,361
  Density 38/km2 (99/sq mi)
  Urban 1,905
Time zone Colombia Standard Time (UTC-5)
Website Official website

Tasco is a town and municipality in the Valderrama Province, part of the Colombian department of Boyacá. Tasco is situated on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense at altitudes ranging from 2,400 metres (7,900 ft) to 3,800 metres (12,500 ft). The Chicamocha River flows through the municipality which borders Socha in the north, Corrales and Gámeza in the south, Socotá in the east and Betéitiva and Paz de Río in the west. The urban centre is located at an altitude of 2,530 metres (8,300 ft) at 115 kilometres (71 mi) from the department capital Tunja.[1]

Etymology

Tasco in the Chibcha language of the Muisca means "Enclosure or mansion of the sovereign".[2]

History

The area of Tasco was inhabited by the Boche and Pirgua tribes, before the Spanish conquest of the Muisca.[3] Modern Tasco was founded on October 15, 1577.[1] Mummies have been encountered in Tasco.[4]

Economy

Main economical activities of Tasco are agriculture and livestock farming. Among the agricultural products are potatoes, Ullucus tuberosus, turnips, maize, beans, barley, peas and chick peas. Fruits cultivated in Tasco are peaches, pears, prunes, apples and the Colombian fruit curuba.[1]

Paleontology

Fossil remains of the Rosidae Berhamniphyllum and Archaeopaliurus boyacensis have been found in the Maastrichtian Guaduas Formation in Tasco and described in 2010.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 (Spanish) Official website Tasco
  2. (Spanish) Etymology Municipalities Boyacá - Excelsio.net
  3. (Spanish) Boche and Pirgua people territories
  4. Martínez Martín, Abel Fernando; Fernardo Francisco Meléndez, and Fred Gustavo Manrique. 2010. Bio-anthropology and paleopathology of the SO10-IX Muisca mummy from Sátivanorte, Boyacá, Colombia. Colombia Médica 41. 112-120.
  5. Tasco in the Paleobiology Database
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Coordinates: 5°55′N 72°47′W / 5.917°N 72.783°W / 5.917; -72.783

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/14/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.