La Mesa, Colombia
Encyclopedia
La Mesa is a municipality and town of Colombia
in the department
of Cundinamarca
. The city is (62 km (38.5 mi) from Bogotá
.) The population is approx. 27,500.
with an area of 4 km² (2.5 sq mi) in the centre of the Cordillera Oriental (Colombia) mountains, (the most Easterly of the three ridges which the Andes
are divided into in Colombia
.)
This town is famed for the Botanical Expedition on the New Kingdom of Granada
which commenced from there in 1783 led by the biologist José Celestino Mutis
. The expedition researched local fauna and flora. It was also an important trade centre during the 19th and part of the 20th century.
Originally La Mesa was located a short distance from its present location and was known as Guayabal. But because of lack of water and too much mud, it was moved in 1777 by order of Pedro Messia de la Zerda, Manuel Guirior and Manuel Antonio Flórez, Spanish Viceroys. The town centre was located the Main Plaza (Downtown), next to the Carbonera river, today an underground river
The origanal location had 98 houses and nowadays is now known by the name of Dos Caminos, (Two Roads in Spanish), .
The population of La Mesa was part of the Independence from Spain movement. From there started the first military campaign of July 20 of 1810 independence revolution. Approximately, 50 men and later 300 more, went to Bogotá
on the day after the declaration of independence to be part of the disposition of the Supreme Board of the independence. La Mesa became a training centre for army soldiers who fought for the independence cause. At La Mesa many heroes were trained, who later were killed defending their ideals by the Spanish troops, some were killed in the middle of the Main Plaza.
Four times, the liberator Simón Bolivar
passed by, in the years of 1821, 1826, 1828 and 1830. Antonio Nariño
transitted in September 1813 commanding the Cundinamarca army of the South campaign of the Independence cause.
This fog is the product of the low and heavy cloud movements, that in the Magdalena Valley, They are caued by warm air forced to rise by the cooler air around Bogotá
,
In clear days is possible to see the snow covered Nevado del Tolima
and Ruiz
volcanoes. The Santa Isabel snow hills, located to the west and the Magdalena River
opposite the Central Mountain Range can also be seen.
The year round average temperature is 24 °C (75.2 °F)
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
in the department
Departments of Colombia
Colombia is an unitary republic formed by thirty-two departments and a Capital District . Each department has a Governor and a Department Assembly , elected by popular vote for a four-year period. The governor cannot be re-elected in consecutive periods...
of Cundinamarca
Cundinamarca Department
- Origin of the name :The name of Cundinamarca comes from Kundur marqa, an indigenous expression, probably derived from Quechua. Meaning "Condor's Nest", it was used in pre-Columbian times by the natives of the Magdalena Valley to refer to the nearby highlands....
. The city is (62 km (38.5 mi) from Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
.) The population is approx. 27,500.
Geography
It's name (The Table in Spanish) comes from its geographical position, located on the top of a PlateauPlateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
with an area of 4 km² (2.5 sq mi) in the centre of the Cordillera Oriental (Colombia) mountains, (the most Easterly of the three ridges which the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
are divided into in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
.)
History
Before the Spaniards came to the Americas, the area was inhabited by the Panches Indians who were notable warriors.This town is famed for the Botanical Expedition on the New Kingdom of Granada
New Kingdom of Granada
The New Kingdom of Granada was the name given to a group of 16th century Spanish colonial provinces in northern South America governed by the president of the Audiencia of Bogotá, an area corresponding mainly to modern day Colombia and parts of Venezuela. Originally part of the Viceroyalty of...
which commenced from there in 1783 led by the biologist José Celestino Mutis
José Celestino Mutis
-External links:*** at The Catholic Encyclopedia official site...
. The expedition researched local fauna and flora. It was also an important trade centre during the 19th and part of the 20th century.
Originally La Mesa was located a short distance from its present location and was known as Guayabal. But because of lack of water and too much mud, it was moved in 1777 by order of Pedro Messia de la Zerda, Manuel Guirior and Manuel Antonio Flórez, Spanish Viceroys. The town centre was located the Main Plaza (Downtown), next to the Carbonera river, today an underground river
The origanal location had 98 houses and nowadays is now known by the name of Dos Caminos, (Two Roads in Spanish), .
The population of La Mesa was part of the Independence from Spain movement. From there started the first military campaign of July 20 of 1810 independence revolution. Approximately, 50 men and later 300 more, went to Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
on the day after the declaration of independence to be part of the disposition of the Supreme Board of the independence. La Mesa became a training centre for army soldiers who fought for the independence cause. At La Mesa many heroes were trained, who later were killed defending their ideals by the Spanish troops, some were killed in the middle of the Main Plaza.
Four times, the liberator Simón Bolivar
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader...
passed by, in the years of 1821, 1826, 1828 and 1830. Antonio Nariño
Antonio Nariño
Antonio de la Santísima Concepción Nariño y Álvarez was an ideological Colombian precursor and one of the early political and military leaders of the independence movement in the New Granada - Early political activity :Nariño was born to an aristocratic family...
transitted in September 1813 commanding the Cundinamarca army of the South campaign of the Independence cause.
Weather
Its position over the East Mountain Range produces an unusual meteorological phenomenon which consists of a dense fog.This fog is the product of the low and heavy cloud movements, that in the Magdalena Valley, They are caued by warm air forced to rise by the cooler air around Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
,
In clear days is possible to see the snow covered Nevado del Tolima
Nevado del Tolima
Nevado del Tolima is a stratovolcano located in Tolima Department, Colombia, south of Nevado del Ruiz volcano.The steep-sided, glacier-clad Nevado del Tolima volcano contrasts with the broad profile of Nevado del Ruiz volcano to the north...
and Ruiz
Nevado del Ruiz
The Nevado del Ruiz, also known as La Mesa de Herveo or Kumanday in the language of the local pre-Columbian indigenous people, is a volcano located on the border of the departments of Caldas and Tolima in Colombia, about west of the capital city Bogotá. It is a stratovolcano, composed of many...
volcanoes. The Santa Isabel snow hills, located to the west and the Magdalena River
Magdalena River
The Magdalena River is the principal 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, in spite of the shifting sand bars at the mouth of its delta, as...
opposite the Central Mountain Range can also be seen.
The year round average temperature is 24 °C (75.2 °F)