Pacho

Pacho
Municipality and town
View of Pacho View of Pacho
Flag of Pacho Flag Official seal of Pacho Seal
Location of the municipality and town inside Cundinamarca department of Colombia Location of the municipality and town inside Cundinamarca department of Colombia
Pacho Location in Colombia
Coordinates:
Country	Colombia
Department	Cundinamarca
Province	Rionegro Province
Founded	25 August 1604
Founded by	Lorencio de Terrones
Government
• Mayor	Ronald David Rangel Bermúdez (2016-2019)
Area
• Municipality and town	403.3 km2 (155.7 sq mi)
• Urban	3.6 km2 (1.4 sq mi)
Elevation	2,136 m (7,008 ft)
Population (2015)
• Municipality and town	27,179
• Urban	15,376
Time zone	Colombia Standard Time (UTC-5)
Website	Official website

Pacho is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca. Pacho is part of the Rionegro Province and the urban centre is situated at a distance of 88 kilometres (55 mi) from the capital Bogotá at an altitude of 2,136 metres (7,008 ft), while the altitude ranges from 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) to 3,700 metres (12,100 ft). The municipality borders San Cayetano, Villagómez and Topaipí in the north, Supatá and Subachoque in the south, Vergara and El Peñón in the west and in the east Zipaquirá, Tausa and Cogua.

Etymology

In the times before the Spanish conquest, Pacho was called Guataque or Gotaque; Gua; "mountain", Tha; "strong" and Que; "elevated", so "strong elevated mountain". The modern name is also derived from Chibcha; Pa is "father" and chó is "good"; "good father".

History

The area of Pacho before becoming part of the New Kingdom of Granada was inhabited by the Muisca people, bordering the Muzos in the northwest and the Panches in the west and southwest.

Modern Pacho was founded on August 25, 1604 by Lorencio de Terrones.

Economy

Pacho was already an agricultural area in the times of the Muisca. Today the main agricultural products are coffee, oranges, strawberries, papayas, pineapples, bananas, plaintains, potatoes, yuca and flowers. The town also as an important dairy farming industry.

Gallery

• Templo Parroquial de Pacho.jpg

  Church of Pacho

• Alcaldia Municipal de Pacho Cundinamarca.jpg

  City council building

• Monumento a la Naranja.JPG

  Monument to the orange (fruit)

• Wayoke.JPG

  Mountain within Pacho