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 Muyquytá, present-day Funza, to the west of Ubaque with rulerSaguamanchica. 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 psihipquaBogotá, 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 Bogotá would die "bathing in his own blood".[2]
The troops of De Quesada conquered the Muisca Confederation and on October 15, 1651, Ubaque was properly founded.
The etymology of Ubaque is not entirely clear. The name could be derived from Ybaque (the Chibcha word for a blooding Eucalyptus tree, common in the Andes) or from the word Ebaque.[1]
Economy
Main economical activity of Ubaque, where 98% of the people live in rural areas, is agriculture, particularly potatoes and carrots.[1]
Lake Ubaque
Lake Ubaque
Lake Ubaque or Lake El Cacique is a sacred lake in the religion of the Muisca, located within the boundaries of Ubaque.[3] It was in Ubaque where the last public religious ceremony of the Muisca was performed, on December 27, 1563.[4]
Ocampo López, Javier (2007), Grandes culturas indígenas de América - Great indigenous cultures of the Americas (in Spanish), Bogotá, Colombia: Plaza & Janes Editores Colombia S.A., pp. 1–238, ISBN978-958-14-0368-4
