Country Colombia Founded July 27, 1819 Demonym(s) Duitamense Area 186 km² Local time Tuesday 2:38 PM Number of airports 1 | Department Boyacá Elevation 2,590 m (8,500 ft) Postal code 150461-69 Population 113,105 (2016) Area code +7 Province Tundama Province | |
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Weather 17°C, Wind E at 14 km/h, 63% Humidity | ||
Colombia prospera con duitama
Duitama ([dwiˈtama]) is a city and municipality in the department of Boyacá. It is the capital of the Tundama Province. Duitama is located 240 kilometres (150 mi) northeast of Bogotá, the capital city of Colombia and 50 kilometres (31 mi) northeast of Tunja, the capital Boyacá. Duitama has existed since pre-Columbian times, when the Muisca inhabited the hills surrounding a former lake in the valley. The original name of Duitama was "Tundama", named after cacique Tundama. The elevation of the city is about 2,590 metres (8,500 ft) above sea level and the average temperature is 16 °C. Duitama is known as "The Pearl of Boyacá".
Contents
- Colombia prospera con duitama
- Map of Duitama BoyacC3A1 Colombia
- Duitama city
- Geography
- History
- Conquest of Duitama
- Colonial period
- Modern age
- International events
- Tourism
- Born in Duitama
- References
Map of Duitama, Boyac%C3%A1, Colombia
Duitama city
Geography
Duitama, situated on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense is bounded to the north by the department of Santander; Charalá and Encino, to the south by the Boyacá municipalities of Tibasosa and Paipa, to the east with the municipalities of Santa Rosa de Viterbo and Floresta, and in the west with Paipa.
History
Duitama in the times before the Spanish conquest was called Tundama.
Conquest of Duitama
Before the Spanish conquest, the Muisca were organized in a loose Muisca Confederation. The confederation was composed of four main political and religious leaders, from south to north; the zipa based in Bacatá, the zaque of Hunza, the iraca of Sugamuxi and the Tundama of Duitama, then called Tundama. Additionally, more independent caciques governed other villages.
The Tundama ruled over the villages of Onzaga, Soatá, Chitagoto, Susacón, Icabuco, Lupachoque, Sátiva, Tutazá and Cerinza. The Tundama lived on the hill currently called La Tolosa.
In 1536, Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada set foot from the Caribbean coastal city of Santa Marta towards the inner highlands of then unexplored Colombia with an army of 800 men. After conquering the southern areas of the Muisca, accessed from the shores of the Magdalena River he and a reduced number of troops marched towards the northern Muisca territories. He first submitted Hunza, the seat of the zaque and in September 1537 he arrived in Sugamuxi, sacred City of the Sun where his soldiers accidentally burned the Sun Temple.
The cacique Tundama heard about the invading foreigners and tried to win time while hiding his treasures from the Spanish. One of his men proposed to surrender to the soldiers armed with superior weapons, and Tundama cut off his ears and left hand.
At the end of 1539, another Spanish conquistador who proved himself in the Kingdom of Quito and Peru, Baltasar Maldonado, entered the Tundama territories and after several battles Tundama surrendered to the Spanish rule. Tundama was killed by a hammer of Maldonado in late December 1539.
Colonial period
During the colonial period of the newly established state New Kingdom of Granada, Duitama was converted to catholicism by friars of Santo Domingo, arriving in 1556. They held their positions until 1775.
Modern Duitama was not founded until 1819, before Simón Bolívar liberated the later state of Gran Colombia from the Spanish rule.
Modern age
Duitama was an agricultural community that grew after the installation of the train station in 1923 and the connection with the Colombian capital via highway. From 1950 onwards the city hosted more industry.
International events
In 1995, Duitama was the second city in Latin America to host the UCI Road World Championships. The first city to host that event was San Cristóbal, Venezuela in 1977.
Tourism
In Duitama the touristic village Pueblito Boyacense is a popular destination. The village is composed of colonial houses.