¡ Growing water, Harvesting quality of life !

@AlcaldiaFomequeAlcaldia Fómeque

Location and characteristicsFomeque Town, is located 56 kilometres from Bogota D.C. in the central sector of Colombia, east of Cundinamarca and on the western side of the National Wildlife Park Chingaza, it is also part of the watershed of the Orinoco basin. The town has an area of 55,565 hectares of which 27,148 have been declared as national park representing 49% of its territory. It has the largest protected wilderness area in the Cundinamarca area and ecosystems that produce a great economic be-nefits to the country, generating more than 14 m3 of water per second, 15% of the countries hy-droelectric power and many more environmental benefits. Its mountainous terrain can be found ranging between 800 and 4,000 meters above the sea level, with a diverse plant and wildlife and rich diversity of flora and fauna.

Fómeque has 32 villages and a population of 12,400 inhabitants, the majority of whom work within the agricultural sector making the town a central and dynamic producer in the agricultural industry of this region. The town plays an important role in the provision of food and raw mate-rials, mainly involved in the production of fruit and vegetables (green beans, tomatoes, cucumber, kidney beans, peas, coffee, red pepper, citrus fruits, tamarillo and potatoes) flowers, poultry and livestock which have been mainly developed in smallholdings.

A BRIEF HISTORY

Located in the Eastern Cordillera of the Colombian Andes, The Muiscas are recognized as the basis of the current population of Fómeque, where it’s far-mers are the purest representatives of indigenous culture and customs who retain many of their prac-tices and traditions.

The Muiscas, a peaceful and agricultural culture, had a strong religious custom that made them re-vere the natural forces that allowed development and crop production. Thus they had great respect for the sun and moon which represented the male and female figure under the concept of the couple, and the universe is formed by union of the sexes not just by one.

However our ancestors not only worshiped these two phenomenon, they also made a series of ri-tuals in homage to the natural world, including the worship of water, where the lakes and springs were the most respected altars to worship the goddess of water Sie, conceiving what is now known as Fómeque, a sacred place by the large number of lakes and sieguas (water between hills) included in its territory.

For the Muiscas people their respect for water and reverence for their sanctuaries permeated and de-termined their life and habits, taking on a feminine principle, the body and womb of the mother, becau-se without it any kind of life is not possible, and all species on earth require water for their growth and survival.

It is for this reason that they were taxed more for throwing in to the lakes many treasures such as ceramic works, emeralds and many beautiful objects that were offered to the goddess to gain favour and protection. Con-trary to popular belief, gold and emeralds had real wealth for the Muiscas but not compared to the value of life or fertility of the land.

After colonization by the Spanish government, the founding date of Fómeque as a municipal state cannot be established clearly, the early versions indicate that Fómeque was founded by Miguel de Ibarra on November 23, 1594, though other sources refer to the founding of Fómeque on June 16, 1600 by Luis Enriquez.

Place to visit

Jesus Master Park was rebuilt between 1988 and 2000, today, there is a variety of plants and trees, keeping the green of nature, it also has a statue in the centre and many seating areas where owners and strangers gather daily to talk, drink coffee and spend time. It is an important meeting place because is surrounded by the most representa-tive institutions of the municipality, including the mayor’s office, the church, the notary, banks and a series of local business.

Jesus Master Park

Given the strategic location of Fómeque, it is con-nected by different cardinal points through the real ways, which were used by Spanish people to transport the treasures they found on the land. Now these real ways are part of the tourist office where the visitors have a variety of activity options such as hiking, horseback riding, interpretive and research activities of the flora and fauna

Real ways

Natural Reserves of Civil Society are natural areas established by the owners of the land for the con-servation of natural ecosystems. Within the reser-ves are plans to develop sustainable production, ecotourism and environmental education. There is a biodiversity of flora and fauna and a large and an important supply of birds, making it a special place for bird watchers.

Nature Reserves of Civil Society (La Gruta, La reserva y Villa Luz)

Fómeque’s initial settlement was made on what is now known as The Union; however it was moved to a higher elevation valley where the people can see Choachi and Ubaque territories. The Union has a warm climate and a small population, but it has an important number of attractions that invite tourists to know the environmental wealth of the town and its potential as a supplier of nature tou-rism and adventure.

The Union

Fómeque has a variety of agricultural farms that offer visitors the opportunity to connect with nature in the middle of a sustainable agricultural production, whe-re in addition to rest and leaving the daily grind of the city, here tourists can observe the efficient manage-ment of natural resources.

Agro tourist farms

National Wildlife Park Chingaza

Chingaza National Park is located in the eastern Cordillera, in the Andean region, hosting a variety of ecosystems including wetlands, forests and ra-inforest. This has a total area of 76,000 hectares, and is part of Cundinamarca and Meta, covering 11 municipalities, Fómeque being the municipality with the largest land area in the park with a stake of 31.84%.

Within its territory are many important areas of wa-ter such as the Chuza impoundment, the ancestral Chingaza Lake and numerous rivers of national importance that supply 80% of the water needed to Bogota, Villavicencio and other neighboring villa-ges and also to hydroelectric projects such as The Dam of Guavio.

Chingaza, a real water factory heritage for all Co-lombians, was declared a National Park in 1977 and also the Ramsar area in 2008. An international agreement that aims to protect and conserve the wetlands as habitat for many animal and vegetable species was also formed.

This area is considered one of the most important ecological reserves in the world, hosting a variety of important plant species. In the surroundings of the Chingaza´s Lake scientists have registered no less than 383 species of plants, and it is estimated that the total flora of the Park is over two thousand species, including eight species of peat moss, considered as an ecological wonder for conser-ving humidity so they can absorb up to 40 times its weight in water, releasing it gradually to the water sources.

Moreover, there are 81 arthropods families and 245 vertebrate families registered. The most outs-tanding species include the giant hummingbird, the goat of wasteland, squirrels and many species of rodents. Some of these species are endemic species that are endangered, including the An-dean bear, white-tailed deer, red deer, the Andean condor, the Borugo moor, the cock-rock and the puma.

For all these reasons Fómeque undoubtedly plays a role in the sustainability of millions of people and different ecosystems which provide an immense amount of environmental wealth in its territory, providing through its moors, rivers and mountains the vital liquid our indigenous ancestors worshi-ped.

CONTACTPhones: 8485007/8485015/3203331920 - Mail: Correo electrónico: contactenos@fomeque-cundi-namarca.gov.co Adress: Cra. 2 No 5-41 Palacio Municipal- Fómeque- Cundinamarca .