Choachí is a municipality and town of Colombia in the Eastern Province of the department of Cundinamarca. The municipality borders La Calera in the north, Ubaque in the south, in the east Fómeque and westward of Choachí is the Colombian capital Bogotá. The town centre is located at 38 kilometres (24 mi) from the centre of the capital.[1] Within the boundaries of Choachí the Páramo de Cruz Verde is situated.
Etymology
The name Choachí is derived from the original name in Chibcha: Chi-gua-chí, which means "Our Mountain of the Moon". The Muisca had a strong lunar cult and worshipped the goddess of the Moon, Chía in various places across their territories. It is believed that in Choachí a place of worship to the Moon was located.[1]
Geography
Choachí is home to the tallest waterfall in Colombia, La Chorrera, which has a height of 590 m (~1940 ft).[2]
Between the 17th and 19th century the original indigenous population almost completely perished.[1]
Economy
Main economical activities in Choachí are agriculture, livestock farming. Also tourism, mainly from the capital, is a source of income for the local people.[1]
In the first half of the 20th century within Choachí the Choachí Stone has been found, possibly in a grave. The stone, carved in lydite may represent the Muisca calendar, a complex lunisolar calendar used by the Muisca.[3] Also petroglyphs have been discovered in Choachí.
Climate
Climate data for Choachí (Bolsa La), elevation 3,195 m (10,482 ft), (1981–2010)
Izquierdo Peña, Manuel Arturo (2009), The Muisca Calendar: An approximation to the timekeeping system of the ancient native people of the northeastern Andes of Colombia (PhD), Université de Montréal, pp. 1–170, arXiv:0812.0574