Arcabuco

Arcabuco
Municipality and town
Central square and church of Arcabuco
Flag
Location of the municipality and town of Arcabuco in the Boyacá Department of Colombia
Country	Colombia
Department	Boyacá Department
Province	Ricaurte Province
Founded	22 October 1856
Founded by	Celedonio Umaña and Leopoldo Rodríguez
Government
• Mayor	Victor Hugo Silva M. (2016-2019)
Area
• Municipality and town	155 km2 (60 sq mi)
• Urban	35 km2 (14 sq mi)
Elevation	2,739 m (8,986 ft)
Population (2015)
• Municipality and town	5,240
• Urban	1,961
Time zone	Colombia Standard Time (UTC-5)
Website	Official website

Arcabuco is a town and municipality in the Ricaurte Province, part of the Colombian Department of Boyacá. Arcabuco is situated on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense with the urban centre at an altitude of 2,739 metres (8,986 ft). The municipality borders Moniquirá and Gámbita in the north, Villa de Leyva and Chíquiza in the south, Cómbita in the east and Gachantivá and Villa de Leyva in the west. The department capital Tunja is 34 kilometres (21 mi) to the south.

The name Arcabuco comes from Chibcha and means either "Place of the intricate scrublands" or "Place enclosed by the hills".

The area of Arcabuco in the times before the Spanish conquest was inhabited by the Muisca. Their territory was part of the Muisca Confederation, a loose collection of rulers. Arcabuco was part of the zacazgo, with the zaque based in Hunza.

Modern Arcabuco was founded on October 22, 1856 by Celedonio Umaña and Leopoldo Rodríguez.

The economy of Arcabuco is centered around agriculture and farming. Apart from the agricultural products potatoes and strawberries, the town is known as a large producer of almojábanas.