Ubaque


Ubaque is a municipality and town of Colombia in the Eastern Province of the department of Cundinamarca. Ubaque borders the municipalities Choachí in the north, Fómeque in the east, Cáqueza and Chipaque in the south and in the west is the Colombian capital Bogotá at 56 km away.

History

The area around Ubaque was before the Spanish conquest in the 1530s inhabited by the indigenous Muisca, organised in a confederation. The capital of the southern Muisca territories was Bacatá, present-day Bogotá, to the west of Ubaque with ruler Saguamanchica. Ubaque was ruled by a cacique who was loyal to the northern Muisca with capital Hunza until Saguamanchica's successor, the brutal leader Nemequene conquered Ubaque.
The arrival of the Spanish conquerors was revealed to zipa Tisquesusa, succeeding the throne after the death of Nemequene. Tisquesusa reigned the southern Muisca at the time of arrival of the Spanish, led by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada. Mohan Popón who lived in Ubaque told the Muisca ruler that foreigners were coming and Tisquesusa would die "bathing in his own blood".
The troops of De Quesada conquered the Muisca Confederation and on October 15th, 1651 Ubaque was properly founded.
The etymology of Ubaque is not entirely clear. The name could be derived from Ybaque or from the word Ebaque.

Economy

Main economical activity of Ubaque, where 98% of the people live in rural areas, is agriculture, particularly potatoes and carrots.

Lake Ubaque

Lake Ubaque or Lake El Cacique is a sacred lake in the religion of the Muisca, located within the boundaries of Ubaque. It was in Ubaque where the last public religious ceremony of the Muisca was performed, on December 27th, 1563.

Born in Ubaque