Charalá

Charalá
Municipality and town
Central square and park Charalá
Flag Seal
Location of the municipality and town of Charalá in the Santander Department of Colombia.
Country	Colombia
Department	Santander Department
Province	Guanentá Province
Founded	23 July 1540
Government
• Mayor	Gil Antonio Méndez Méndez (2016-2019)
Area
• Municipality and town	411 km^2 (159 sq mi)
• Urban	0.7 km^2 (0.3 sq mi)
Elevation	1,290 m (4,230 ft)
Population (2015)
• Municipality and town	10,540
• Density	26/km^2 (66/sq mi)
• Urban	5,791
	[1]
Time zone	Colombia Standard Time (UTC-5)
Website	Official website

Charalá is a town and municipality in the south of the department of Santander in northeastern Colombia. Its antipode is located within the capital of Indonesia, Jakarta.^[2]

The municipality borders the municipalities Encino and Coromoro in the east, Oiba, Confines and Suaita in the west, Páramo, Ocamonte and Mogotes in the north and in the south Gámbita and Duitama, the latter in the department of Boyacá.^[3]

History

Before the arrival of the Spanish in the area, the Santander department was inhabited by the Guanes. Charalá was located at the border of Guane territory and the Muisca Confederation of which it formed an independent unity. The name is Chibcha, the language of the Muisca people and was given to honour the Guane cacique of the village; "Chalala".^[3]

Economy

Main economical activities in the municipality are agriculture (coffee, sugar cane and maize) and marble mining.^[3]

Born in Charalá

• José Acevedo y Gómez, independence hero of Colombia

• 

  Casa de la Cultura

• 

  Colonial house

• 

  Iglesia Nuestra Señora de Monguí

• 

  Statue José António Galán

• 

  Statue Simón Bolívar

• 

  Weaving activity

References

1. (Spanish) 2015 DANE population Charalá
2. "Antipodes Map - Antipodal location for any map point". Solution Realm Software Inc. 2006. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
3. (Spanish) Official website Charalá - accessed 06-05-2016

Coordinates: 6°15′N 73°05′W / 6.250°N 73.083°W