Bojacá

Bojacá
Municipality and town

Church of Bojacá

Flag

Seal

Location of the municipality and town inside Cundinamarca department of Colombia
Bojacá

Location in Colombia

Coordinates: 4°44′1″N 74°20′32″W / 4.73361°N 74.34222°W / 4.73361; -74.34222Coordinates: 4°44′1″N 74°20′32″W / 4.73361°N 74.34222°W / 4.73361; -74.34222
Country  Colombia
Department Cundinamarca
Province Western Savanna Province
Founded 16 October 1537
Founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada
Government
  Mayor Juan Carlos Gaitán Chiriví
(2016-2019)
Area
  Municipality and town 109 km2 (42 sq mi)
  Urban 40 km2 (20 sq mi)
Elevation 2,598 m (8,524 ft)
Population (2015)
  Municipality and town 11,254
  Density 100/km2 (270/sq mi)
  Urban 9,256
Time zone Colombia Standard Time (UTC-5)
Website Official website

Bojacá is a municipality and town of the Western Savanna Province, Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca. The urban centre is situated at an altitude of 2,598 metres (8,524 ft) on the Bogotá savanna at 40 kilometres (25 mi) from the capital Bogotá. The municipality borders Zipacón, Madrid and Facatativá in the north, Madrid and Mosquera in the east, Soacha and San Antonio del Tequendama in the south and Tena, La Mesa and Zipacón in the west.[1]

Etymology

The name Bojacá comes from Chibcha and means "Purple enclosure".[1][2]

History

The area around Bojacá was inhabited at least since 3410 years BP (1400 BCE), evidenced by archaeological excavations from the Herrera Period performed in Aguazuque, Zipacón and around Lake Herrera, Mosquera.[3] The territories were already important in the times before the Spanish conquest when Bojacá was part of the Muisca Confederation; a loose confederation of rulers of the Muisca.

On his expedition to El Dorado and after conquering the Muisca, conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada founded modern Bojacá on October 16, 1537.[1]

Economy

Main economical activities of Bojacá are agriculture and livestock farming. Among the agricultural products cultivated are potatoes, carrots, maize, lettuce and fruits as blackberries, strawberries, prunes and the typical Colombian fruits uchuva, tree tomato and granadilla.[1]

Gallery

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 (Spanish) Official website Bojacá
  2. (Spanish) Etymology municipalities Cundinamarca - El Tiempo
  3. Correal Urrego, Gonzalo. 1990. Aguazuque: Evidence of hunter-gatherers and growers on the high plains of the Eastern Ranges, 1-316. Banco de la República: Fundación de Investigaciones Arqueológicas Nacionales. Accessed 2016-07-08.
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