Country Colombia Founded 16 October 1537 Area 109 km² Local time Monday 1:47 AM | Department Cundinamarca Elevation 2,598 m (8,524 ft) Population 11,254 (2015) Province Western Savanna Province | |
 | ||
Founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada Time zone Colombia Standard Time (UTC-5) Weather 13°C, Wind N at 8 km/h, 90% Humidity Founder Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada | ||
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.
Contents
Map of Bojac%C3%A1, Cundinamarca, Colombia
Etymology
The name Bojacá comes from Chibcha and means "Purple enclosure".
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. 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.
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.