Ubaque | |
|---|---|
Municipality and town | |
 View of Ubaque | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location of the municipality and town inside Cundinamarca Department of Colombia | |
  Ubaque Location in Colombia | |
| Coordinates: 4°28′59″N 73°56′4″W / 4.48306°N 73.93444°W | |
| Country |  Colombia |
| Department |  Cundinamarca |
| Province | Eastern Province |
| Founded | 15 October 1651 |
| Founded by | Custodio Lesaca |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Edgar Orlando Aguas Alba (2016-2019) |
| Area | |
| • Municipality and town | 104.96 km2 (40.53 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 0.14 km2 (0.05 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,867 m (6,125 ft) |
| Population (2015) | |
| • Municipality and town | 6,166 |
| • Density | 59/km2 (150/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 879 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Colombia Standard Time) |
| Website | Official website |
Ubaque is a municipality and town of Colombia in the Eastern Province of the department of Cundinamarca. Ubaque borders the municipalities Choachí in the north, Fómeque in the east, Cáqueza and Chipaque in the south and in the west is the Colombian capital Bogotá at 56 km away.[1]
History
The area around Ubaque was before the Spanish conquest in the 1530s inhabited by the indigenous Muisca, organised in a confederation. The capital of the southern Muisca territories was Muyquytá, present-day Funza, to the west of Ubaque with ruler Saguamanchica. Ubaque was ruled by a cacique who was loyal to the northern Muisca with capital Hunza until Saguamanchica's successor, the brutal leader Nemequene conquered Ubaque.
The arrival of the Spanish conquerors was revealed to psihipqua Bogotá, succeeding the throne after the death of Nemequene. Tisquesusa reigned the southern Muisca at the time of arrival of the Spanish, led by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada. Mohan Popón who lived in Ubaque told the Muisca ruler that foreigners were coming and Bogotá would die "bathing in his own blood".[2]
The troops of De Quesada conquered the Muisca Confederation and on October 15, 1651 Ubaque was properly founded.
The etymology of Ubaque is not entirely clear. The name could be derived from Ybaque (the Chibcha word for a blooding Eucalyptus tree, common in the Andes) or from the word Ebaque.[1]
Economy
Main economical activity of Ubaque, where 98% of the people live in rural areas, is agriculture, particularly potatoes and carrots.[1]
Lake Ubaque
Lake Ubaque or Lake El Cacique is a sacred lake in the religion of the Muisca, located within the boundaries of Ubaque.[3] It was in Ubaque where the last public religious ceremony of the Muisca was performed, on December 27, 1563.[4]
Born in Ubaque
- Jaime Pardo Leal, former politician (assassinated)
References
- 1 2 3 (in Spanish) Official website Ubaque - accessed 04-05-2016
- ↑ (in Spanish) Tisquesusa would die bathing in his own blood - Pueblos Originarios - accessed 04-05-2016
- ↑ Ocampo López, 2007, Ch.V, p.226
- ↑ Londoño, 2001, p.4
Bibliography
- Londoño Laverde, Eduardo. 2001. El proceso de Ubaque de 1563: la última ceremonia religiosa pública de los muiscas - The trial of Ubaque of 1563: the last public religious ceremony of the Muisca. Boletín Museo del Oro 49. 49-101. Accessed 2016-12-26.
- Ocampo López, Javier. 2007. Grandes culturas indígenas de América - Great indigenous cultures of the Americas, 1–238. Plaza & Janes Editores Colombia S.A..
External links
- Images of Ubaque - accessed 04-05-2016