Duitama Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Duitama

Municipality and city

Top: Pueblito Boyacense, Second: Duitama rural area, Third: Briceño-Tunja-Sogamoso Highway, Fourth: Skyline Duitama, Fifth: Antonio Nariño University - Duitama Campus, Bottom: Onion cultivation in the south of Duitama

Flag	Coat of arms

Nickname(s):

Perla de Boyacá
("Pearl of Boyacá")

Location of the town and municipality of Duitama in Boyacá Department

Province

Tundama Province

Founded

Pre-Conquest

Erected

July 27, 1819

Government

• Type

Municipality

Area

• Municipality and city

266.93 km² (103.06 sq mi)

• Urban

12.7 km² (4.9 sq mi)

Elevation

2,590 m (8,500 ft)

Population

(2023 est.)

• Municipality and city

131,591

• Density

492.979/km² (1,276.811/sq mi)

• Urban

114,192

• Urban density

8,990/km² (23,290/sq mi)

Demonym(s)

Duitamense

Postal code

150461-69

Area code(s)

Website

Official website: http://www.duitama-boyaca.gov.co/index.shtml

Duitama is a lively city and municipality in Boyacá, a region in Colombia. It's known as the capital of the Tundama Province. Duitama is about 195 kilometers (121 miles) northeast of Bogotá, Colombia's capital. It's also 50 kilometers (31 miles) northeast of Tunja, the capital of Boyacá. In 2023, about 131,591 people lived in Duitama.

What's in a Name? The Story of Duitama
Where is Duitama?
Duitama's Weather
A Look Back: Duitama's History
- The Spanish Conquest
- Colonial Times and Modern Growth
Big Events
Fun Things to See
Famous People from Duitama
Images for kids
See also

What's in a Name? The Story of Duitama

Duitama has a long history, going back to before Christopher Columbus arrived. Back then, the Muisca lived in the hills around a lake in the valley. The city's first name was "Tundama." This name came from a powerful Muisca leader, a cacique named Tundama.

The name Duitama means "to me the tribute" in Muysccubun, the Muisca language. In the beginning, Duitama was a Muisca village ruled by Cacique Tundama. He was a strong leader who received tributes from other nearby villages. The native people lived in small huts, often on higher ground like the hills of La Milagrosa and Cargua.

Today, Duitama is often called "The Pearl of Boyacá."

Where is Duitama?

Duitama is located on a high plateau called the Altiplano Cundiboyacense. To the north, it shares a border with the Santander region. To the south, it borders the Boyacá towns of Tibasosa and Paipa. To the east, it's next to Santa Rosa de Viterbo and Floresta.

Duitama's Weather

The city is about 2,590 meters (8,497 feet) above sea level. This high elevation means the average temperature is around 15 °C (59 °F).

Duitama has a cool and often cloudy climate, like a subtropical highland. Temperatures usually stay between 7 °C (45 °F) and 19 °C (67 °F). It rarely gets colder than 4 °C (39 °F) or warmer than 21 °C (70 °F). Sometimes, it can even drop below freezing, like -2.7 °C (27 °F).

A Look Back: Duitama's History

Duitama was originally known as Tundama before the Spanish arrived.

The Spanish Conquest

Before the Spanish conquest, the Muisca people lived in a loose group of communities called the Muisca Confederation. This group had four main leaders. From south to north, they were the zipa in Bacatá, the zaque of Hunza, the iraca of Sugamuxi, and the Tundama of Duitama. Other smaller leaders, called caciques, ruled other villages.

The Tundama leader ruled over several villages, including Onzaga and Tutazá. He lived on a hill that is now called La Tolosa.

In 1536, a Spanish explorer named Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada traveled from the Caribbean coast into Colombia. He had an army of 800 men. After taking over the southern Muisca areas, he and fewer soldiers moved north. He first took control of Hunza, and in September 1537, he reached Sugamuxi, a sacred city. There, his soldiers accidentally burned the important Sun Temple.

The cacique Tundama heard about the Spanish invaders. He tried to buy time and hide his treasures from them. One of his men suggested surrendering to the Spanish, who had better weapons. Tundama punished him severely for this idea.

In late 1539, another Spanish explorer, Baltasar Maldonado, entered the Tundama lands. After several battles, Tundama finally gave in to Spanish rule. Sadly, Tundama was killed by Maldonado with a hammer in December 1539.

Colonial Times and Modern Growth

During the time when Spain ruled the area, Duitama became a Catholic town. Friars (religious brothers) from Santo Domingo arrived in 1556 and stayed until 1775.

The modern city of Duitama was officially founded in 1819. This was just before Simón Bolívar helped free the region from Spanish rule, creating the new country of Gran Colombia.

Duitama started as a farming community. It grew a lot after a train station was built in 1923. This connected the city to the Colombian capital by highway. From the 1950s onwards, more factories and businesses came to Duitama.

Big Events

In 1995, Duitama was the second city in Latin America to host the UCI Road World Championships. This is a very important bicycle racing event!

Fun Things to See

A popular place to visit in Duitama is Pueblito Boyacense. This is a special village built with houses that look like old colonial homes. It's a great place to explore and imagine what life was like long ago.