Somondoco

Somondoco is a town and municipality in the Colombian Department of Boyacá. This town and larger municipal area are located in the Valle de Tenza. The Valle de Tenza is the ancient route connecting the Altiplano Cundiboyacense and the Llanos. The area is dotted with many such little towns all located at approximately the same altitude (1500–1700 meters). Somondoco borders Almeida in the east, Guayatá in the west, Guateque and Sutatenza in the north and in the south the Cundinamarca municipality of Ubalá.[1]

Somondoco
Municipality and town
Bull fighting arena Somondoco
Flag
Location of the municipality and town of Somondoco in the Boyacá Department of Colombia
Country Colombia
DepartmentBoyacá Department
ProvinceEastern Boyacá Province
Founded6 November 1537
Government
 • MayorEdison Rolando Gaitán Roa
(2020-2023)
Area
 • Municipality and town58.7 km2 (22.7 sq mi)
 • Urban
2.4 km2 (0.9 sq mi)
Elevation
1,670 m (5,480 ft)
Population
 (2015)
 • Municipality and town3,632
 • Density62/km2 (160/sq mi)
 • Urban
795
Time zoneUTC-5 (Colombia Standard Time)
WebsiteOfficial website

The nearest larger town is Guateque which is about 30 minutes away by car. In Somondoco are several small companies producing handicrafts and collectables.

Etymology

Somondoco is derived from the Chibcha words So = stone, Mon = bath, Co = support. The village is named after cacique Somendoco or Sumindoco.[2][1]

History

Somondoco is a very old center of population extending back into prehistory. The Muisca settled here due to the abundance of emeralds mined in the Andes mountains.

When the Spanish conquistadores led by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada arrived, Somondoco was ruled by a cacique named Sumindoco. He was loyal to the zaque of Hunza.[1] The date of foundation of Somondoco is November 6, 1537.[3]

Economy

Main economical activities of Somondoco are emerald mining and agriculture; maize, tomatoes, sugar cane, beans, bananas and coffee.[1]

  • View of Somondoco

References
  1. (in Spanish) Official website Somondoco
  2. (in Spanish) Etymology Somondoco - Excelsio.net
  3. (in Spanish) Foundation of Somondoco November 6, 1537

Further reading

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.