Ráquira
title: "Ráquira" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["municipalities-of-boyacá-department", "villages-in-colombia", "populated-places-established-in-1580", "1580-establishments-in-the-spanish-empire", "populated-places-of-the-muisca-confederation"] topic_path: "geography/spain" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ráquira" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Ráquira |
| settlement_type | Municipality and town |
| image_skyline | Plaza principal e iglesia de Ráquira (Boyacá).jpg |
| image_caption | Church of Ráquira |
| image_flag | Flag of Ráquira (Boyacá).svg |
| image_map | Colombia - Boyaca - Raquira.svg |
| mapsize | 250px |
| map_caption | Location of the municipality and town of Ráquira in the Boyacá Department of Colombia |
| pushpin_mapsize | 300 |
| pushpin_map_caption | Location in Colombia |
| subdivision_type | Country |
| subdivision_name | Colombia |
| subdivision_type1 | Department |
| subdivision_name1 | Boyacá Department |
| subdivision_type2 | Province |
| subdivision_name2 | Ricaurte Province |
| leader_title | Mayor |
| leader_name | José Hernán Sierra Buitrago |
| (2020-2023) | |
| established_title | Founded |
| established_date | 18 October 1580 |
| founder | Francisco de Orejuela |
| area_total_km2 | 233 |
| population_as_of | 2015 |
| population_total | 13588 |
| population_density_km2 | auto |
| population_urban | 3425 |
| timezone | Colombia Standard Time |
| utc_offset | -5 |
| elevation_m | 2150 |
| website | Official website |
| :: |
|name = Ráquira |native_name = |nickname = |motto = |settlement_type = Municipality and town |image_skyline = Plaza principal e iglesia de Ráquira (Boyacá).jpg |imagesize = |image_caption = Church of Ráquira |image_flag = Flag of Ráquira (Boyacá).svg |image_seal = |image_map = Colombia - Boyaca - Raquira.svg |mapsize = 250px |map_caption = Location of the municipality and town of Ráquira in the Boyacá Department of Colombia |pushpin_map = |pushpin_mapsize = 300 |pushpin_map_caption = Location in Colombia |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = Colombia |subdivision_type1 = Department |subdivision_name1 = Boyacá Department |subdivision_type2 = Province |subdivision_name2 = Ricaurte Province |leader_title = Mayor |leader_name = José Hernán Sierra Buitrago (2020-2023) |established_title = Founded |established_date = 18 October 1580 |founder = Francisco de Orejuela |area_magnitude = |area_total_km2 = 233 |area_total_sq_mi = |area_land_km2 = |area_land_sq_mi = |area_water_km2 = |area_water_sq_mi = |area_water_percent = |area_urban_km2 = |area_urban_sq_mi = |area_metro_km2 = |area_metro_sq_mi = |population_as_of = 2015 |population_note = |population_total = 13588 |population_density_km2 = auto |population_density_sq_mi = |population_metro = |population_density_metro_km2 = |population_density_metro_sq_mi = |population_urban = 3425 |coordinates = |timezone = Colombia Standard Time |utc_offset = -5 |timezone_DST = |utc_offset_DST = |elevation_m = 2150 |elevation_ft = |website = Official website |footnotes =
Ráquira, is a municipality and town in Boyacá Department, Colombia, part of the subregion of the Ricaurte Province. Ráquira is situated on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense and the urban center at an altitude of 2150 m. It borders Tinjacá and Sutamarchán in the north, Guachetá, Cundinamarca in the south, in the east Sáchica and Samacá and in the west San Miguel de Sema and Lake Fúquene.
Etymology
In Chibcha, Ráquira means "Village of the pans".
History
The area of Ráquira was inhabited by the Muisca in the centuries before the Spanish conquest of the central highlands of the Colombian Andes. Already in those times Ráquira was famous for its ceramics due to the clay of the area.
In March 1537 conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada crossed the valley around Ráquira. Modern Ráquira was founded on October 18, 1580 by friar Francisco de Orejuela.
Economy
About three quarters of the economy of Ráquira is centered on the handcrafts. Other economical activities are agriculture, livestock farming and mining.
Tourism
Ráquira is famous in Colombia for its colony of artisans, who produce traditional northern Andean pottery & hand-woven goods. The Sunday market is especially a popular time to visit. Ráquira is also known for its colorful houses that contrast with the famous nearby town of Villa de Leyva.
Gallery
File:Ráquira Boyacá parque.JPG|Central square and church Ráquira File:Iglesia Raquira.JPG|Church File:Church in Raquira, Colombia.jpg|Church File:27 Interior iglesia de Ráquira Boyacá.JPG|Church interior File:Venta de artesnias en raquira, 2006.JPG|Arts and crafts in Ráquira File:Raquira artesanias.JPG|Crafts File:Ráquira figura barro.JPG|Clay sculpture File:26 trabajo en cerámica artesanal en Ráquira Boyacá.JPG|Ceramic sculpture File:Raquira rural.JPG|Rural area of Ráquira File:Granja Ráquira.JPG|Farm in rural area File:Carretera rural Raquira.JPG|Road in rural area File:Río ráquira.JPG|Ráquira River
References
References
- {{in lang. es [http://www.raquira-boyaca.gov.co/informacion_general.shtml Official website Ráquira]
- {{in lang. es [http://www.excelsio.net/2011/11/sabe-el-origen-del-nombre-de-su.html Etymology Ráquira] - Excelsio.net
- {{in lang. es [https://letras-uruguay.espaciolatino.com/aaa/bolivar_grimaldos_rafael/los_muiscas_a_la_llegada.htm Muisca history and ceramics in Ráquira]
- {{in lang. es [http://www.galeon.com/culturasamerica/Muiscas.htm Ceramics of Ráquira because of the clay present there]
- [http://www.vivatravelguides.com/south-america/colombia/eastern-colombia/villa-de-leyva/near-villa-de-leyva/ Crafts in Ráquira]
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