Sumapaz is the 20th locality of
Bogotá
Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish Imperial period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city, capital and largest city ...
, capital of
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
. It is the largest of Bogotá's 20 localities, starting in the north at the edge of the urban frontier with
Usme and stretching to the south at the border of
Cundinamarca with the departments of
Meta
Meta most commonly refers to:
* Meta (prefix), a common affix and word in English ( in Greek)
* Meta Platforms, an American multinational technology conglomerate (formerly ''Facebook, Inc.'')
Meta or META may also refer to:
Businesses
* Meta (ac ...
and
Huila. It is completely rural, with no city services.
History
The
Sumapaz Páramo
Sumapaz Páramo (Spanish: ''Páramo de Sumapaz'' - meaning "Utterly peaceful moorland" ) is a large páramo ecosystem located in the Altiplano Cundiboyacense mountain range, considered the largest páramo ecosystem in the world. It was decla ...
, covering most of the locality, was a sacred site for the indigenous
Muisca
The Muisca (also called the Chibcha) are indigenous peoples in Colombia and were a Pre-Columbian culture of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense that formed the Muisca Confederation before the Spanish colonization of the Americas. The Muisca spe ...
in pre-Columbian times. In the 16th century, it was discovered by
conquistadors
Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (; ; ) were Spanish Empire, Spanish and Portuguese Empire, Portuguese colonizers who explored, traded with and colonized parts of the Americas, Africa, Oceania and Asia during the Age of Discovery. Sailing ...
led by
Nicolaus Federmann in their quest for ''
El Dorado
El Dorado () is a mythical city of gold supposedly located somewhere in South America. The king of this city was said to be so rich that he would cover himself from head to foot in gold dust – either daily or on certain ceremonial occasions � ...
''.
It has been the stage for several rural conflicts, including those of 1928 and 1946.
La Violencia
''La Violencia'' (, The Violence) was a ten-year civil war in Colombia from 1948 to 1958, between the Colombian Conservative Party and the Colombian Liberal Party, mainly fought in the countryside.
''La Violencia'' is considered to have begu ...
of 1948 gave rise to the formation of the
guerrilla
Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, Partisan (military), partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include Children in the military, recruite ...
groups still present in Colombia. At the beginning of the 21st century, the Colombian army took the territory from guerrilla hands as part of a counter-guerrilla strategy of president
Álvaro Uribe
Álvaro Uribe Vélez (born 4 July 1952) is a Colombian politician who served as the 31st President of Colombia from 7 August 2002 to 7 August 2010.
Uribe started his political career in his home department of Antioquia Department, Antioquia. H ...
.
Economy
The population is dependent on small-scale farming and livestock.
General information
Borders
* North: The locality of
Usme
* East: The municipalities of
Une and
Gutiérrez and the department of Meta
* South: The department of Huila
* West: The municipalities of
Cabrera,
Venecia,
San Bernardo,
Arbeláez
Arbeláez () is a town and municipality in the Cundinamarca Department, Colombia. It borders Fusagasugá, Pasca and other municipalities of the Sumapaz Province.
Arbeláez is recognized as a quiet and friendly city of Colombia. It is known for ...
, and
Pasca
Pasca is a town and municipality in the Cundinamarca Department, Cundinamarca department of Colombia located in the Andes. It belongs to the Sumapaz Province. Pasca is situated on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense at a distance of from the capital B ...
Hydrology
Within the borders of the locality, several rivers are formed, mostly within
Sumapaz National Park. The two largest rivers are the Pilar and
Sumapaz River, the latter flowing into the
Magdalena River
The Magdalena River (, ; less commonly ) is the main river of Colombia, flowing northward about through the western half of the country. It takes its name from the biblical figure Mary Magdalene. It is navigable through much of its lower reaches, ...
.
Points of interest
*
Sumapaz National Park
* Ecoparque Chinauta
References
External links
*
Video about Sumapaz*
National University of Colombia site about Sumapaz
{{Bogota DC
Localities of Bogotá
Altiplano Cundiboyacense
Populated places of the Muisca Confederation