Guateque facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Guateque Guatoc
Municipality and town
Church and colonial building in Guateque
Flag
Location of the town and municipality of Guateque in Boyaca Department
Guateque Location in Colombia
Country	Colombia
Department	Boyacá Department
Province	Eastern Boyacá Province
Founded	28 January 1636
Founded by	Diego Morales et al.
Area
• Municipality and town	36.04 km2 (13.92 sq mi)
• Urban	1.82 km2 (0.70 sq mi)
Elevation	1,815 m (5,955 ft)
Population  (2015)
• Municipality and town	9,603
• Density	266.45/km2 (690.11/sq mi)
• Urban	7,176
Time zone	UTC-5
Website	Official website: http://www.guateque-boyaca.gov.co/

Guateque is a town and a type of local government area called a municipality in Colombia. It is located in the Boyacá Department, which is like a state. Guateque is part of the Eastern Boyacá Province.

The town center of Guateque is high up, about 1,815 metres (5,955 ft) above sea level. It sits on a high plateau called the Altiplano Cundiboyacense. Guateque is about 125 kilometres (78 mi) from Tunja, the capital city of Boyacá. It is also about 112 kilometres (70 mi) from Bogotá, the capital of Colombia. Guateque shares its borders with several other towns. These include La Capilla, Tenza, Sutatenza, and Somondoco in Boyacá. It also borders Tibiritá and Manta in the Cundinamarca Department.

What Does Guateque Mean?

The name Guateque comes from an older name, Guatoc. This original name means "Stream of the ravine" or "Lord of the winds."

Guateque's Past

Hundreds of years ago, before the Spanish arrived, the central highlands of Colombia were home to the Muisca. The Muisca had their own special religious practices. They held important religious events on a hill in this area, which they called Guatoc.

The cacique of Guateque was a very important leader. A cacique was like a chief. He was part of the Muisca Confederation, which was a group of Muisca communities. Guateque was important because gold was mined there.

Even though Catholic missionaries started working in Guateque around 1556, the modern town was officially started later. It was founded on January 28, 1636, by a group of Spanish leaders.

How Guateque Makes Money

Even though Guateque is a town, almost half of its economy comes from farming and raising animals. This is called agriculture and livestock farming. The main crops grown in Guateque are maize (corn) and tomatoes.

Famous People from Guateque

Some well-known people were born in Guateque:

• Víctor Carranza: He was known as "the czar of emeralds."
• Francisco Estupiñán Heredia: A person who worked in politics.
• Enrique Olaya Herrera: He became a president of Colombia.

Climate

Images for kids

See also

In Spanish: Guateque para niños