Ortega, Tolima

For other uses, see Ortega.

Ortega, Tolima Ortegano
—  Municipality and town  —
Location of the municipality and town of Ortega, Tolima in the Tolima Department of Colombia.
Country	Colombia
Department	Tolima Department
Area
– Municipality and town	945.93 km2 (365.2 sq mi)
Elevation	402 m (1,319 ft)
Population
– Municipality and town	33,873
– Urban	7,566 rural:22,307
Time zone	Colombia Standard Time (UTC-5)
Website	http://ortegatolima.com

Ortega is a town and municipality in the Tolima department of Colombia, in South America. The overall population of the municipality was 36,421 as of the 1993 census. According to the 2005 census the overall population was 33,873 (7% less than the 1993 census), with 7,566 (22.34%) in the urban zone and 22,307 (77.66%) in the rural areas.

Ortega is located at 402 meters above sea level, on an overall terrain of 945.93 km², and its average temperature is 26°C.

History

In 1572, a group composed of Cap. Diego Bocanegra, Luis de Morales, Vicente Valenzuela, the Cap. Ambrosio de Morales Bocanegra, and forty soldiers that Diego Bocanegra had taken to conquer the pijao natives, established a town named Santiago de la Frontera (located in the pijaos' border, or frontera).

That first foundation was abandoned, because Diego Bocanegra had to go to help Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada following a high court's mandate. However, in 1586 Diego Bocanegra made a second foundation named Medina de las Torres.

Because of the pijaos' attacks on Medina de las torres, the town disappeared, so a third foundation was necessary but the pijaos attacked on it one more time.

Years later, on November 30, 1821 the Catholic Padre Nicolás Ramírez rebuilt the town and named it Ortega, on a terrain (the present terrain) of 98 km².

Coordinates: 3°55′N 75°15′W / 3.917°N 75.25°W / 3.917; -75.25