Santana, Boyacá facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Santana
Santa Ana de Vélez
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Municipality and town
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Location of the municipality and town of Santana in the Boyacá Department of Colombia
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| Country |  Colombia |
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| Department | Boyacá Department | |
| Province | Ricaurte Province | |
| Founded | 14 June 1806 | |
| Founded by | Antonio José Amar y Borbón | |
| Area | ||
| • Municipality and town | 67 km2 (26 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 1,550 m (5,090 ft) | |
| Population
(2015)
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| • Municipality and town | 7,692 | |
| • Density | 114.8/km2 (297.3/sq mi) | |
| • Urban | 2,348 | |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Colombia Standard Time) | |
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Santana is a town and a municipality in the northern part of the Boyacá region in Colombia. It is located in the Ricaurte Province. The main town area sits high up at 1,550 meters (about 5,085 feet) above sea level. This area is part of the Eastern Mountains of the Colombian Andes.
Santana shares its borders with other towns and regions. To the east, it borders Chitaraque and the Santander Department. To the west, it borders Güepsa, which is also in Santander. In the north, it borders Suaita, Santander. Finally, to the south, it borders Chitaraque and San José de Pare.
Name History
Santana was originally known as Santa Ana de Vélez. This longer name was used until the late 1800s. After that, people started calling it just Santana, which is shorter and easier to say.
Santana's Past
Long ago, before the Spanish arrived, the area around Santana was important for growing cotton. Two groups of people, the Guane and the Muisca, used this cotton. They made special cloths and blankets from it. These cloths were even used as a form of money when they traded with each other.
Santana was located between the lands of two important leaders. One leader was from Vélez and the other from Chitaraque. A Spanish explorer named Martín Galeano founded the modern town of Vélez on June 3, 1539.
Later, in 1692, Christian teachers visited Santa Ana for the first time. This was about 75 years after the Spanish set up a system called encomienda in Santa Ana de Vélez. The current town of Santana, which was still called Santa Ana back then, was officially founded on June 14, 1806. It was founded by a leader called Antonio José Amar y Borbón, who was a viceroy. A viceroy was like a governor who ruled a colony for the king of Spain.
What Santana Makes
The main way people in Santana make a living is by growing sugarcane. They use this sugarcane to produce a product called panela. Panela is a type of unrefined whole cane sugar, very common in Colombia. People in Santana also grow coffee, which is another important crop for the area.
See also
In Spanish: Santana (Boyacá) para niños
