Yolombó facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yolombó
Municipality and town
Flag Seal
Location of the municipality and town of Yolombó in the Antioquia Department of Colombia
Yolombó Location in Colombia
Country	Colombia
Department	Antioquia Department
Subregion	Northeastern
Area
• Total	941 km2 (363 sq mi)
Elevation	1,450 m (4,760 ft)
Population  (2015)
• Total	23,958
Time zone	UTC-5 (Colombia Standard Time)

Yolombó is a town and municipality in the country of Colombia. It is located in the Antioquia area, about 108 kilometers (67 miles) from Medellín. Yolombó is part of the Northeastern region.

A Look Back: Yolombó's History

The name Yolombó comes from an old local word. In 1535, a man named Don Pedro de Heredia found a village of native people called Yolombó in the Antioquia region. He was the person who started the city of Cartagena de Indias. The town was first known as "San Lorenzo de Yolombó." We don't know the exact date it was officially founded.

In the mid-1600s, people found gold in the area. This made Yolombó a very important and famous town. Old church records show that many important Spanish families moved there. By 1750, Yolombó was so successful that it was called "Ciudad Illustre," meaning "Illustrious City."

However, this good time did not last long. Between 1760 and 1800, the gold mines started to run out. New mining tools made it easier to get the gold, but it also meant the gold was used up faster. Because of this economic problem, Yolombó was made a smaller part of the city of Santo Domingo from 1879 to 1883.

In 1883, Yolombó became a separate District and Township again. It stayed that way until 2009, when it officially became a municipality.

Yolombó's Amazing Nature

Yolombó has many different types of weather and a lot of different plants and animals. It is 1,450 meters (about 4,757 feet) above sea level. This mountainous area can have very hot and very cold temperatures.

The region is known for its unique farms and forests. These forests are full of plants that can be used as medicine and trees that provide valuable wood. Yolombó also has plenty of water and green fields for animals.

Who Lives in Yolombó?

In 2015, the total number of people living in Yolombó was 23,958.

• About 7,216 people lived in the town area.
• About 16,742 people lived in the countryside.

In 2005, about 84.3% of all people in Yolombó could read and write.

• In the town area, 90.5% of people could read and write.
• In the countryside, 81.5% of people could read and write.

According to a count from 2005 by DANE (Colombia's national statistics office), the people in Yolombó are mostly:

• Mestizo and White (98.0%)
• Afrocolombian (1.9%)
• Indigenous (0.1%)

Yolombó's Weather

Yolombó has a tropical rainforest climate. This means it gets a lot of rain all year round.

Famous People from Yolombó

• Sofía Medina de López – She was a Colombian politician. She was the first woman to be the Mayor of Medellín from 1976 to 1977.

Yolombó in Stories

The town of Yolombó became well-known partly because of a historical novel called "La Marquesa de Yolombó" (The Marchioness of Yolombó). This book was written by Tomás Carrasquilla.

See also

In Spanish: Yolombó para niños