Tunja (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈtuŋxa]) is a city located on the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes, in the region known as the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, 130 km northeast of Bogotá. In 2012 it had an estimated population of 181,407 inhabitants. It is the capital of Boyacá department and the Central Boyacá Province. Tunja is an important educational centre of known universities. It was founded by the Spanish in 1539.