Bojacá

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]

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
Country Colombia
Department Cundinamarca
ProvinceWestern Savanna Province
Founded16 October 1537
Founded byGonzalo Jiménez de Quesada
Government
 • MayorJuan Carlos Gaitán Chiriví
(2016-2019)
Area
 • Municipality and town109 km2 (42 sq mi)
 • Urban
40 km2 (20 sq mi)
Elevation
2,598 m (8,524 ft)
Population
 (2015)
 • Municipality and town11,254
 • Density100/km2 (270/sq mi)
 • Urban
9,256
Time zoneUTC-5 (Colombia Standard Time)
WebsiteOfficial website

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]

  • Central square
  • Church of Bojacá at the central square
  • Buste of friar Diego Francisco Pinilla at the central square

References
  1. (in Spanish) Official website Bojacá Archived 2017-10-11 at the Wayback Machine
  2. (in 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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