Guateque

Guateque is a town and municipality in the Colombian Department of Boyacá, part of the subregion of the Eastern Boyacá Province. Guateque's urban center is located at an altitude of on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense at distances of from the department capital Tunja and from Bogotá, capital of Colombia. It borders the municipalities of La Capilla, Tenza, Sutatenza, Somondoco of Boyacá and Tibiritá and Manta of Cundinamarca. Guateque is derived from the original name Guatoc, meaning "Stream of the ravine" or "Lord of the winds". In the centuries before the Spanish conquest of the Muisca, the central highlands of Colombia were inhabited by the Muisca. The Muisca practiced different rituals related to their religion. On the hill within the municipality that they called Guatoc, the people organized religious festivities. The cacique of Guateque was an important leader within the loose Muisca Confederation, as gold mining was executed in Guateque. While catholic missionaries already were working in Guateque since 1556, the modern town was founded on January 28, 1636 by a group of Spanish leaders. Despite the urban character of Guateque, almost half of its economy is based on agriculture and livestock farming. Predominant agricultural products are maize and tomatoes.