Guachetá

Guachetá
Municipality and town
Central square Guachetá
Flag Seal
Location of the municipality and town inside Cundinamarca Department of Colombia
Guachetá Location in Colombia
Coordinates: 5°23′8″N 73°41′8″W / 5.38556°N 73.68556°WCoordinates: 5°23′8″N 73°41′8″W / 5.38556°N 73.68556°W
Country	Colombia
Department	Cundinamarca
Province	Ubaté Province
Founded	12 March 1537
Founded by	Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada
Government
• Mayor	Pablo Enrique Quicazán Ballesteros (2016-2019)
Area
• Municipality and town	177.45 km^2 (68.51 sq mi)
Elevation	2,688 m (8,819 ft)
Population (2015)
• Municipality and town	11,385
• Density	64/km^2 (170/sq mi)
• Urban	3,756
Time zone	Colombia Standard Time (UTC-5)
Website	Official website

Guachetá is a municipality and town of Colombia in the Ubaté Province of the department of Cundinamarca. Guachetá is located at 118 kilometres (73 mi) from the capital Bogotá. It borders the Boyacá municipalities of Ráquira and Samacá in the north, Ubaté and Lenguazaque in the south, Ventaquemada and Lenguazaque in the east and in the west Fúquene and Ubaté. Guachetá is located on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense at altitudes between 2,600 metres (8,500 ft) and 3,500 metres (11,500 ft).^[1]

History

Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, founder of Guachetá

When the Spanish conquistadores entered the central highlands of Colombia, they encountered the Muisca Confederation; territories of the Muisca people. Guachetá was an independent territory within the confederation, led by a cacique. The Spanish army leader Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada founded Guachetá on March 12th, 1537 and initially called it San Gregorio because of the date. The Muisca spoke Chibcha and Guachetá in Chibcha means "farmlands of the hill".^[1]

Muisca myth

Statue honouring Goranchacha

One of the many stories of the mythology of the Muisca is the myth of the virgin maid of Guachetá. The daughter of the cacique allegedly became pregnant through the forces of the Sun, represented in the Muisca religion by Sué. After nine months pregnancy she bore an emerald that she put between her breasts. From this emerald grew the mythical cacique Goranchacha; son of the Sun.^[2]

Economy

Main economical activity of Guachetá is agriculture, particularly potatoes, maize, peas and beans.^[1]

References

1. (Spanish) Official website Guachetá - accessed 05-05-2016
2. Ocampo López, Javier (2013). Mitos y leyendas indígenas de Colombia [Indigenous myths and legends of Colombia] (in Spanish). Bogotá, Colombia: Plaza & Janes Editores Colombia S.A. p. 80. ISBN 978-958-14-1416-1.