Savannah of Bogotá
Encyclopedia
The Savanna
of Bogotá is a high plateau located in the center of Colombia
on the eastern cordillera of the Colombian Andes
. It is on the southern part of a larger plateau called Altiplano Cundiboyacense
that rises to an average altitude of 2600 mts (8500 ft) above the see level.
This plateau is crossed from north to south by the Bogotá River
, which at the southwestern edge of the plateau forms the Tequendama Falls
(Salto Tequendama). Other rivers, tributaries of the Bogotá river, form smaller valleys with very fertile soils dedicated to agriculture and cattle-breeding.
conquistador
s the region was inhabited by the Muisca
people who lived in hundreds of villages scattered across the plateau. These villages were individually ruled by chiefs (cacique
s) who at the same time paid tribute to the Zipa, as they called their king. Once the Muisca rulers were defeated, the Spaniards engaged in the construction of Spanish style towns to replace all the indigenous villages and to force the Indians to live like the Spaniards. The majority of those villages kept their indigenous names, some of them were slightly modified on time, like Suacha which became Soacha
, Hyntiba to become Fontibón
and Bacatá that became Bogotá
.
of Bogotá, in addition to the capital city of Bogotá
are: Mosquera, Soacha, Madrid or Serrezuela, Funza
, Facatativá
, Subachoque
, El Rosal, Tabio
, Tenjo
, Cota
, Chía, Cajicá
, Zipaquirá
, Nemocón
, Sopó
, Tocancipá
, Gachancipá
, Sesquilé
, Chocontá
and Guatavita
.
There is a system of swamps (humedales) that regulate the soil moisture acting like sponges for the rain waters. The most important swamps are La Conejera, El Burro, Jaboque, Santa María del Lago, Tibabuyes, Córdoba and Guaymaral.
Savanna
A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
of Bogotá is a high plateau located in the center of 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...
on the eastern cordillera of the Colombian 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...
. It is on the southern part of a larger plateau called Altiplano Cundiboyacense
Altiplano Cundiboyacense
The Altiplano Cundiboyacense is a set of highlands located on the Eastern Cordillera of the Colombian Andes between the departments of Cundinamarca and Boyacá. The altiplano corresponds to the ancient territory of the Muisca...
that rises to an average altitude of 2600 mts (8500 ft) above the see level.
This plateau is crossed from north to south by the Bogotá River
Bogotá River
The Bogotá River is a major river of the Cundinamarca department of Colombia, crossing the region from the northeast to the southwest and passing along the western limits of Bogotá...
, which at the southwestern edge of the plateau forms the Tequendama Falls
Tequendama Falls
The Tequendama Falls is a 132m high waterfall on the Bogotá River, located about 30 km southwest of Bogotá in the municipality of San Antonio del Tequendama...
(Salto Tequendama). Other rivers, tributaries of the Bogotá river, form smaller valleys with very fertile soils dedicated to agriculture and cattle-breeding.
History
At the arrival of the SpanishSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
conquistador
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
s the region was inhabited by the Muisca
Muisca
Muisca was the Chibcha-speaking tribe that formed the Muisca Confederation of the central highlands of present-day Colombia. They were encountered by the Spanish Empire in 1537, at the time of the conquest...
people who lived in hundreds of villages scattered across the plateau. These villages were individually ruled by chiefs (cacique
Cacique
Cacique is a title derived from the Taíno word for the pre-Columbian chiefs or leaders of tribes in the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles...
s) who at the same time paid tribute to the Zipa, as they called their king. Once the Muisca rulers were defeated, the Spaniards engaged in the construction of Spanish style towns to replace all the indigenous villages and to force the Indians to live like the Spaniards. The majority of those villages kept their indigenous names, some of them were slightly modified on time, like Suacha which became Soacha
Soacha
Soacha is the city of Colombia on the southern edge of Bogotá, the country's capital. It has an important industrial zone and is home to mostly working class families.-Demographics:...
, Hyntiba to become Fontibón
Fontibon
Fontibon is a former municipality located at the westernmost side of Bogotá, Colombia.-History:Founded on May 10, 1954; Fontibon was the gate to the current Bogotá City also known as Santa Fe de Bogotá, to the conquistador Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada and his fellow expeditioners.The origin of the...
and Bacatá that became 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...
.
Cities
The main cities of the SavannaSavanna
A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
of Bogotá, in addition to the capital city of 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...
are: Mosquera, Soacha, Madrid or Serrezuela, Funza
Funza
Funza is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca....
, Facatativá
Facatativá
Facatativá is a town and municipality in the Cundinamarca Department, located about 28 miles northwest of Bogotá, Colombia and 2,586 meters above sea level...
, Subachoque
Subachoque
Subachoque is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca....
, El Rosal, Tabio
Tabio
Tabio is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca. It is located at from Bogotá. The population was 20,714 at 2005...
, Tenjo
Tenjo
Tenjo is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca....
, Cota
Cota, Colombia
Cota is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca.Jose Nestor Gonzalez Romero is the mayor of Cota.-External links:...
, Chía, Cajicá
Cajicá
Cajicá is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca.The native name of Cajicá is "The Stone Fortress." It is the third most populous municipality in the province after Zipaquirá and Chía- Other Facts:*Market Day: Sunday...
, Zipaquirá
Zipaquirá
Zipaquirá is a municipality and city of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca. Its neighboring municipalities are Tausa and Cogua to the north; Nemocón, Gachancipá and Sopó to the east; Cajicá and Tabio to the south; and Subachoque and Pacho to the west. Its seat of municipal government is 49...
, Nemocón
Nemocón
Nemocón is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca.- History :Nemcón means "The cry of the warrior" in the Chibcha language. The city was founded by Spanish settlers in 1537.- Geography and description :...
, Sopó
Sopó
Sopó is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca....
, Tocancipá
Tocancipá
Tocancipá is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca. The race track is located in the surroundings of the town, here they make vintage auto races as well as gt races....
, Gachancipá
Gachancipá
Gachancipá is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca....
, Sesquilé
Sesquilé
Sesquilé is a town and municipality in Almeidas Province, in the department of Cundinamarca, Colombia. Sesquile in Muisca language means hot water....
, Chocontá
Chocontá
Chocontá is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca. It is located on the Pan-American Highway.In 1938 Choconta had a population of 2,041.-History:Foundation date: 06 September, 1538...
and Guatavita
Guatavita
Guatavita is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca. There you can find the Guatavita's lake, that were a sacred and ceremonial lake for the Quimbayas indians.- External links :*...
.
Climate
The average temperature of the plateau is 14°C, but this could oscillate between -10°C and 24ºC. The dry and rainy seasons alternate frequently during the year. The dry months are December, January, February and March. During the rainy months the temperature tends to be more stable with variations between 9°C and 20°C. June, July and August are the months that present the largest variations of temperature and during the morning there could be presence of frost that could have negative impact on the agriculture. Hail or ice storms are also common.There is a system of swamps (humedales) that regulate the soil moisture acting like sponges for the rain waters. The most important swamps are La Conejera, El Burro, Jaboque, Santa María del Lago, Tibabuyes, Córdoba and Guaymaral.
See also
- Bogotá Savannah RailwayBogotá Savannah RailwayThe Bogotá Savannah Railway was a company that provided transport for passengers from 1889 between the cities of the Metropolitan Area of Bogotá...
- Train for the vicinities of the city of BogotáTrain for the vicinities of the city of BogotáThe train for the vicinities of the city of Bogotá is an infrastructure project for the construction of a mass, rapid transport system to communicate Bogotá with its surrounding cities...