Guasca

Municipality and town in Cundinamarca, Colombia

Flag

Location of the municipality and town of Guasca in the Cundinamarca Department of Colombia

4°51′57″N 73°52′38″W / 4.86583°N 73.87722°W / 4.86583; -73.87722Country

ColombiaDepartment

CundinamarcaProvinceGuavio ProvinceFounded21 June 1600Founded byLuis EnríquezGovernment

• MayorMiguel Arturo Garavito Diaz
(2016-2019)Area

• Municipality and town346 km² (134 sq mi) • Urban

8.8 km² (3.4 sq mi)Elevation

2,710 m (8,890 ft)Population

(2015)

• Municipality and town14,759 • Density43/km² (110/sq mi) • Urban

5,203Time zoneUTC-5 (Colombia Standard Time)WebsiteOfficial website

Guasca is a Colombian town and municipality in the Guavio Province, part of the Cundinamarca Department located approximately 55 km from Bogotá passing through the town of La Calera, Cundinamarca or 65 km passing through Sopó. Guasca borders the municipalities Tocancipá and Guatavita in the north, Junín in the east, in the south La Calera and in the west Sopó.^[1]

History

Before the Spanish conquest of the Muisca of the central highlands of the Colombian Andes, the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, the area was inhabited by the Muisca who spoke Chibcha. Guasca was ruled by a cacique who was loyal to the cacique of Guatavita.^[1] In the religion of the Muisca, the Siecha Lakes were considered sacred.^[2]

Etymology

According to friar and Muisca scholar Bernardo de Lugo the name Guasca is derived from guâ, "mountain range" and shucâ; "skirt". The name thus means "skirt of the mountain range", indicating the position of the village with respect to the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes.^[3]

Economy

Main economical activities of Guasca are agriculture; potatoes, carrots, flowers and strawberries and dairy farming.^[1]

Tourism

Guasca is known for ecotourism and has access to Chingaza Natural National Park. Other natural areas are Los Encenillos and the Siecha Lakes. One of the oldest hotels and restaurants in the area is Café la Huerta.

Born in Guasca

Mariano Ospina Rodríguez - president of the Granadine Confederation

Trivia

The plant Galinsoga parviflora is called "Guasca(s)" in Colombia and an essential ingredient of the soup ajiaco
The spiders Anapis guasca,^[4] Deinopis guasca,^[5] and moth Dognina guasca^[6] are found in and named after Guasca

Gallery

Basilica of Saint Hyacinth
Basilica of Saint Hyacinth
Basilica of Saint Hyacinth by night

Street view
Siecha chapel
Siecha Lakes

References

^ ^a ^b ^c (in Spanish) Official website Guasca Archived 2017-07-11 at the Wayback Machine - accessed 05-05-2016
^ 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. 226. ISBN 978-958-14-1416-1.
^ (in Spanish) Etymology Guasca according to Bernardo de Lugo - accessed 05-05-2016
^ Data related to Anapis at Wikispecies
^ Data related to Deinopis at Wikispecies
^ Data related to Dognina at Wikispecies