Duitama 6.74

Duitama is a city and municipality in the department of Boyacá. It is the capital of the Tundama Province. Duitama is located 240km northeast of Bogotá, the capital city of Colombia and 50km northeast of Tunja, the capital Boyacá. Duitama has existed since pre-Columbian times, when the Muisca inhabited the hills surrounding a former lake in the valley. The original name of Duitama was "Tundama", named after cacique Tundama. The elevation of the city is about 2590m above sea level and the average temperature is 16 °C. Duitama is known as "The Pearl of Boyacá".GeographyDuitama, situated on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense is bounded to the north by the department of Santander; Charalá and Encino, to the south by the Boyacá municipalities of Tibasosa and Paipa, to the east with the municipalities of Santa Rosa de Viterbo and Floresta, and in the west with Paipa.HistoryDuitama in the times before the Spanish conquest was called Tundama.Conquest of DuitamaBefore the Spanish conquest, the Muisca were organized in a loose Muisca Confederation. The confederation was composed of four main political and religious leaders, from south to north; the zipa based in Bacatá, the zaque of Hunza, the iraca of Sugamuxi and the Tundama of Duitama, then called Tundama. Additionally, more independent caciques governed other villages.