Bogotá savanna explained

Bogotá savanna
Other Name:Sabana de Bogotá
Country:Colombia
State:Cundinamarca
Region:Andean region
City:Bogotá
Coordinates:4.75°N -74.175°W
Area Km2:4251.6
Type:Montane savanna
Border:East: Eastern Hills
South: Sumapaz mountains
North: Hills of Tausa and Suesca
West: Western hills

The Bogotá savanna is a montane savanna, located in the southwestern part of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense in the center of Colombia. The Bogotá savanna has an extent of 4251.6km2 and an average altitude of 2650m (8,690feet). The savanna is situated in the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes.

The Bogotá savanna is crossed from northeast to southwest by the 375km (233miles) long Bogotá River, which at the southwestern edge of the plateau forms the Tequendama Falls (Salto del Tequendama). Other rivers, such as the Subachoque, Bojacá, Fucha, Soacha and Tunjuelo Rivers, tributaries of the Bogotá River, form smaller valleys with very fertile soils dedicated to agriculture and cattle-breeding.

Before the Spanish conquest of the Bogotá savanna, the area was inhabited by the indigenous Muisca, who formed a loose confederation of various caciques, named the Muisca Confederation. The Bogotá savanna, known as Muyquytá, was ruled by the zipa. The people specialised in agriculture, the mining of emeralds, trade and especially the extraction of rock salt from rocks in Zipaquirá, Nemocón, Tausa and other areas on the Bogotá savanna. The salt extraction, a task exclusively of the Muisca women, gave the Muisca the name "The Salt People".

In April 1536, a group of around 800 conquistadors left the relative safety of the Caribbean coastal city of Santa Marta to start a strenuous expedition up the Magdalena River, the main fluvial artery of Colombia. Word got around among the Spanish colonisers that deep in the unknown Andes, a rich area with an advanced civilisation must exist. These tales bore the -not so much- legend of El Dorado; the city or man of gold. The Muisca, skilled goldworkers, held a ritual in Lake Guatavita where the new zipa would cover himself in gold dust and jump from a raft into the cold waters of the 3000m (10,000feet) high lake to the northeast of the Bogotá savanna.

After a journey of almost a year, where the Spanish lost over 80% of their soldiers, the conquistadors following the Suárez River, reached the Bogotá savanna in March 1537. The zipa who ruled the Bogotá savanna at the arrival of the Spanish was Tisquesusa. The Muisca posed little resistance to the Spanish strangers and Tisquesusa was defeated in April 1537 in Funza, in the centre of the savanna. He fled towards the western hills and died of his wounds in Facatativá, on the southwestern edge of the Bogotá savanna. The Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada established the New Kingdom of Granada with capital Santa Fe de Bogotá on August 6, 1538. This started a process of colonisation, evangelisation and submittance of the Muisca to the new rule. Between 65 and 80% of the indigenous people perished due to European diseases as smallpox and typhus. The Spanish introduced new crops, replacing many of the New World crops that the Muisca cultivated.

Over the course of the 16th to early 20th century, the Bogotá savanna was sparsely populated and industrialised. The rise in population during the twentieth century and the expansion of agriculture and urbanisation reduced the biodiversity and natural habitat of the Bogotá savanna severely. Today, the Metropolitan Area of Bogotá on the Bogotá savanna hosts more than ten million people. Bogotá is the biggest city worldwide at altitudes above 2500m (8,200feet). The many rivers on the savanna are highly contaminated and efforts to solve the environmental problems are conducted in the 21st century.

Etymology

Bogotá savanna is named after Bogotá, which is derived from Muysccubun Bacatá, which means "(Enclosure) outside of the farm fields".[1]

Geography

See main article: Altiplano Cundiboyacense. The Bogotá savanna is the southwestern part of the larger Andean plateau, the Altiplano Cundiboyacense. The savanna is a montane savanna, bordered to the east by the Eastern Hills, the Sumapaz mountains in the south, the hills of Tausa and Suesca in the north and western hills of Cundinamarca in the west. The total surface area is 4251.6km2.[2]

Climate

The average temperature of the plateau is 14C, but this can fluctuate between 0C24C. The dry and rainy seasons alternate frequently during the year. The driest months are December, January, February and March. During the rainy months, the temperature tends to be more stable with variations between 9C20C. June, July and August are the months that present the largest variations of temperature, and during the morning frost in the higher terrains surrounding the savanna is possible. Sometimes also ground frost is present, which has a negative impact on agriculture. Hail is a relatively common phenomenon on the savanna.[3] [4]

Hydrology

Rivers

Lakes

Natural
Artificial

Waterfalls

Wetlands

See main article: Wetlands of Bogotá. There is a system of wetlands (humedales) that regulate the soil moisture acting like sponges for the rain waters. Fifteen wetlands have a protected status, with various wetlands as unprotected. In 1950, the total surface area of the wetlands amounted to 150000ha, but due to the urbanisation of the Colombian capital the total area has been reduced to 1500ha.[6]

WetlandLocationAltitude (m)Area (ha)NotesImage
Guaymaral y TorcaUsaquén
Suba
align=center 2547align=center 73align=center
La ConejeraSubaalign=center 2544align=center 58.9align=center
CórdobaSubaalign=center 2548align=center 40.51align=center
Tibabuyes
Juan Amarillo
Suba
Engativá
align=center 2539align=center 222.58align=center
JaboqueEngativáalign=center 2539align=center 148align=center
Santa María del LagoEngativáalign=center 2549align=center 12align=center
El BurroKennedyalign=center 2541align=center 18.84align=center
La VacaKennedyalign=center 2548align=center 7.96align=center
TechoTecho, Kennedyalign=center 2545align=center 11.46align=center
CapellaníaFontibónalign=center 2542align=center 27.05align=center
Meandro del SayFontibón
Mosquera
align=center 2548align=center 13.6align=center
TibanicaBosa
Soacha
align=center 2542align=center 28.8align=center
El SalitreBarrios Unidosalign=center 2558align=center 6.4align=center
La IslaBosaalign=center 2550align=center 7.7align=center
La FloridaFunzaalign=center 2542align=center 26align=center

Biodiversity

See also: Biodiversity of Colombia. Despite the continuous urbanisation and industrial activities, the Bogotá savanna is a rich biodiverse area with many bird species registered.[7] The diversity of mammals, amphibians and reptiles is much lower.[8] Before the arrival of the European colonisers, the savanna was populated predominantly by white-tailed deer, the main ingredient of the Muisca cuisine. Today, this species of deer, as well as the once common spectacled bear, is restricted to protected areas surrounding the Bogotá savanna. The Thomas van der Hammen Natural Reserve is a protected area in the north of Bogotá.

History

See also: Herrera Period and Timeline of Bogotá. The earliest confirmed inhabitation of present-day Colombia was on the Bogotá savanna with sites El Abra, Tequendama and Tibitó, where semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers lived in caves and rock shelters. One of the first evidences of settlement in open area space was Aguazuque, whose oldest dated remains are analysed to be 5000 years old. This prehistorical preceramic period was followed by the Herrera Period, commonly defined from 800 BCE to 800 AD.

Muisca Confederation

See main article: Muisca Confederation. At the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, the region was inhabited by the Muisca who lived in hundreds of small villages scattered across the plateau. These villages were individually ruled by caciques who at the same time paid tribute to the zipa, ruler of Bacatá. The Muisca were known as "The Salt People", thanks to their extraction of rock salt from brines in large pots heated over fires. This process was the exclusive task of the Muisca women.

The economy of the Muisca, meaning "person" or "people" in their indigenous version of Chibcha; Muysccubun, was self-sufficient due to the advanced agriculture on the fertile soils of the frequently flooding Bogotá savanna. More tropical and subtropical agricultural products as avocadoes and cotton were traded with their neighbours, in particular the Guane and Lache in the north and northeast and the Guayupe, Achagua and Tegua in the east.

The Muisca were known as skilled goldworkers, represented in the famous Muisca raft, that symbolises the initiation ritual of the new zipa in Lake Guatavita. This ritual, where the zipa covered himself in gold dust and jumped in the 3000m (10,000feet) altitude lake, gave rise to the -not so much- legend of El Dorado.

Spanish conquest

See main article: Spanish conquest of the Muisca. In April 1536, a group of around 800 conquistadors left the relative safety of the Caribbean coastal city of Santa Marta to start a strenuous expedition up the Magdalena River, the main fluvial artery of Colombia. Word got around among the Spanish colonisers that deep in the unknown Andes, a rich area with an advanced civilisation must exist. These tales bore the -not so much- legend of El Dorado; the city or man of gold. The Muisca, skilled goldworkers, held a ritual in Lake Guatavita where the new zipa would cover himself in gold dust and jump from a raft into the cold waters of the 3000m (10,000feet) high lake to the northeast of the Bogotá savanna.

After a journey of almost a year, where the Spanish lost over 80% of their soldiers, the conquistadors following the Suárez River, reached the Bogotá savanna in March 1537. The zipa who ruled the Bogotá savanna at the arrival of the Spanish was Tisquesusa. The Muisca posed little resistance to the Spanish strangers and Tisquesusa was defeated in April 1537 in Funza, in the centre of the savanna. He fled towards the western hills and died of his wounds in Facatativá, on the southwestern edge of the Bogotá savanna. The Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada established the New Kingdom of Granada with capital Santa Fe de Bogotá on August 6, 1538. This started a process of colonisation, evangelisation and submittance of the Muisca to the new rule. Between 65 and 80% of the indigenous people perished due to European diseases as smallpox and typhus. The Spanish introduced new crops, replacing many of the New World crops that the Muisca cultivated.

The Spanish colonizers engaged in the construction of Spanish-style towns to replace all the indigenous villages and in the process of assimilation and religious convert of the Muisca. The majority of those villages kept their indigenous names, but some were slightly modified in time, like Suacha which became Soacha, Hyntiba becoming Fontibón and Bacatá becoming Bogotá.

Modern history

See also: New Kingdom of Granada, Gran Colombia and History of Bogotá. Over the course of the 16th to early 20th century, the Bogotá savanna was sparsely populated and industrialised. The rise in population during the twentieth century and the expansion of agriculture and urbanisation reduced the biodiversity and natural habitat of the Bogotá savanna severely. Today, the Metropolitan Area of Bogotá on the Bogotá savanna hosts more than ten million people. Bogotá is the biggest city worldwide at altitudes above 2500m (8,200feet). The many rivers on the savanna are highly contaminated and efforts to solve the environmental problems are conducted in the 21st century.

Timeline of inhabitation

align=center colspan=2 Timeline of inhabitation of the Bogotá savanna, Colombia
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Cities

The main cities of the Bogotá savanna, in addition to the capital city of Bogotá, are: Mosquera, Soacha, Madrid, Funza, Facatativá, Subachoque, El Rosal, Tabio, Tenjo, Cota, Chía, Cajicá, Zipaquirá, Nemocón, Sopó, Tocancipá, Gachancipá, Sesquilé, Suesca, Chocontá and Guatavita.[9]

List of municipalities

Municipality
Locality
Altitude
urban centre (m)
Surface area
(km2)
InhabitantsRemarksMap
align=center Bogotáalign=center 2640align=center 1587align=center 7,980,001 align=center Named after Bacatá
Capital of Colombia
Biggest city at altitudes
above 2500m (8,200feet)
align=center
align=center Usaquénalign=center 2650align=center 65.31align=center 449,621 align=center align=center
align=center Chapineroalign=center 2640align=center 38.15align=center 122,507 align=center align=center
align=center Santa Fealign=center 2640align=center 45.17align=center 96,241 align=center align=center
align=center San Cristóbalalign=center 2640align=center 49.09align=center 404,350 align=center align=center
align=center Usmealign=center 2700align=center 119.04align=center 314,431 align=center align=center
align=center Tunjuelitoalign=center 2600align=center 9.91align=center 182,532 align=center align=center
align=center Bosaalign=center 2600align=center 23.93align=center 637,283 align=center align=center
align=center Kennedyalign=center 2700align=center 38.59align=center 979,914 align=center align=center
align=center Fontibónalign=center 2600align=center 33.28align=center 317,179 align=center align=center
align=center Engativáalign=center 2600align=center 35.88align=center 824,337 align=center align=center
align=center Subaalign=center 2700align=center 100.56align=center 1,161,500 align=center align=center
align=center Barrios Unidosalign=center 2600align=center 11.9align=center 230,066 align=center align=center
align=center Teusaquilloalign=center 2600align=center 14.19align=center 139,298 align=center align=center
align=center Los Mártiresalign=center 2600align=center 6.51align=center 94,944 align=center align=center
align=center Antonio Nariñoalign=center 2600align=center 4.88align=center 119,565 align=center align=center
align=center Puente Arandaalign=center 2600align=center 17.31align=center 250,715 align=center align=center
align=center La Candelariaalign=center 2640align=center 2.06align=center 22,115 align=center align=center
align=center Rafael Uribe Uribealign=center 2600align=center 13.83align=center 378.780 align=center align=center
align=center Ciudad Bolívaralign=center 2700align=center 130align=center 593,937 align=center align=center
align=center Soachaalign=center 2565align=center 184.45align=center 522,442 align=center Preceramic site Tequendama
Herrera site
Muisca ceramics production
Petrographs found
align=center
align=center Sibatéalign=center 2700align=center 125.6align=center 38,412 align=center Petrographs found
El Muña Reservoir
align=center
align=center Mosqueraalign=center 2516align=center 107align=center 82,750 align=center Lake Herrera
Petrographs found
align=center
align=center Bojacáalign=center 2598align=center 109align=center 11,254 align=center Lake Herrera
Petrographs found
align=center
align=center Chíaalign=center 2564align=center 80align=center 129,652 align=center Moon Temple
Herrera site
Petrographs found
align=center
align=center Cotaalign=center 2566align=center 55align=center 24,916 align=center Petrographs found
Muisca community
align=center
align=center Cajicáalign=center 2558align=center 50.4align=center 56,875 align=center Located in the funnel of the northern savannaalign=center
align=center Facatativáalign=center 2586align=center 158align=center 134,522 align=center Piedras del Tunjoalign=center
align=center Funzaalign=center 2548align=center 70align=center 75,350 align=center Muisca market townalign=center
align=center Madridalign=center 2554align=center 120.5align=center 77,627 align=center Lake Herrera
Petrographs found
align=center
align=center El Rosalalign=center 2685align=center 86.48align=center 17,254 align=center align=center
align=center Zipacónalign=center 2550align=center 70align=center 5570 align=center Agriculture
Place of meditation for the zipa
Petrographs found
align=center
align=center Subachoquealign=center 2663align=center 211.53align=center 16,117 align=center Petrographs foundalign=center
align=center Tabioalign=center 2569align=center 74.5align=center 27,033 align=center Hot springs used by the Muiscaalign=center
align=center Tenjoalign=center 2587align=center 108align=center 18,387 align=center Petrographs foundalign=center
align=center Zipaquiráalign=center 2650align=center 197align=center 124,376 align=center El Abra
Muisca salt mines
Important market town
Petrographs and petroglyphs found
align=center
align=center Nemocónalign=center 2585align=center 98.1align=center 13,488 align=center Muisca salt mines
Preceramic site Checua
Petrographs found
align=center
align=center Coguaalign=center 2600align=center 113align=center 22,361 align=center Muisca ceramics production
Petrographs found
Neusa Reservoir
align=center
align=center Tocancipáalign=center 2605align=center 73.51align=center 31,975 align=center Preceramic site Tibitó
Muisca ceramics production
Important market town
Petrographs found
align=center
align=center Gachancipáalign=center 2568align=center 44align=center 14,442 align=center Muisca mummy found
Muisca ceramics production
align=center
align=center Guascaalign=center 2710align=center 346align=center 14,759 align=center Siecha Lakes
Muisca ceramics production
Petrographs found
align=center
align=center Guatavitaalign=center 2680align=center 247.3align=center 6898 align=center Muisca ceramics production
Main goldworking town
Petrographs found
Tominé Reservoir
align=center
align=center Sopóalign=center 2650align=center 111.5align=center 26,769 align=center Herrera sitealign=center
align=center Sesquiléalign=center 2595align=center 141align=center 13,936 align=center Lake Guatavita
Minor Muisca salt mines
align=center
align=center Suescaalign=center 2584align=center 177align=center 17,318 align=center 150 Muisca mummies found
Lake Suesca
Muisca ceramics production
Important market town
Petrographs found
align=center

See also

References

Bibliography

History

Conquest and colonial period

Notes and References

  1. Etymology Bacatá - Banco de la República
  2. Pérez Preciado, 2000, p.2
  3. Web site: Climate: Bogotá - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table. Climate-Data.org. 2016-09-29.
  4. Web site: Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Bogota, Colombia . Weatherbase . 2016-09-29.
  5. Lake Herrera largest water reserve of the Bogotá savanna
  6. Moreno et al., s.a., p.2
  7. Calvachi Zambrano, 2002, p.95
  8. Calvachi Zambrano, 2002, p.97
  9. http://www.icanh.gov.co/ver_pagina_ingles/release/register_of_archaeological_sites/sabana_bogota Cities on the Bogotá savanna