| Chingaza National Natural Park | |
|---|---|
 Road in Chingaza National Park | |
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| Location | Colombia |
| Coordinates | 4°33′N73°42′W / 4.550°N 73.700°W /4.550; -73.700 |
| Area | 766 km2 (296 sq mi) |
| Established | 1977 |
| Governing body | SINAP |
| Official name | Sistema Lacustre de Chingaza |
| Designated | 25 June 2008 |
| Reference no. | 1782[1] |
Chingaza National Natural Park (Spanish:Parque Nacional Natural (PNN) Chingaza) is located in theEastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes, northeast ofBogotá,Colombia in the departments ofCundinamarca andMeta. The elevation in the park, to the east of theAltiplano Cundiboyacense, ranges from 800 to 4,020 metres (2,600 to 13,200 ft), and the temperature ranges from 4 to 21.5 °C (39 to 71 °F).[2] The park extends over the Cundinamarca municipalitiesLa Calera,Fómeque,Guasca andSan Juanito (Meta).
The name Chingaza comes fromChibcha and means "middle of the width".[3]
99% of the park area is located in theOrinoco River basin in the upper basins of the Black and White, Guatiquía, Guacavía, Gazaunta, Gazamumo, Humea andGuavio rivers. 1% of its area is in theMagdalena River basin, where the San Lorenzo Creek, La Calera River tributary, andTeusacá, Siecha,Bogotá, and Tominé rivers drain.
Chingaza has about 40 naturalglacial lakes. The largest lake is Lake Chingaza, located in the southwestern part of the park at an altitude of 3,250 metres (10,660 ft). One of the most representative and culturally significant bodies of water are theSiecha Lakes, a group of three lakes in the municipality ofGuasca. Chuza Reservoir is also located within the Chingaza Park in the basin of a tributary of the River Chuza Guatiquía. This reservoir is the center of the Bogotá Water Company's Chingaza System. Chingaza contributes 80% of the city's high quality drinking water.[4]
The animals found in Chingaza include thespectacled bear, deer, tapirs, pumas,Andean condors,cock-of-the-rocks, jaguars, turkeys, woolly monkeys, nocturnal monkeys,ocelots, andtoucans. The large number of endemic species makes the Eastern Ranges one of the most important geographic regions for wildlife in Colombia.[2]
In the vicinity of the Chingaza lake, no less than 383 species of plants have been recorded. It is estimated that the total flora of the park may exceed 2,000 species. There are eight species ofpeat moss, which can absorb up to 40 times their weight in water. There are also endemic species, such asfrailejones, that grow on thepáramo and even within forests.[4]
There are currently no indigenous groups within the territory of Chingaza. However, the area has historical importance, with over 10,000 years ofMuisca andpre-Muisca inhabitation in the region. Ponds, rock shelters, the mountains and especially theSiecha Lakes were sacred places of worship and respect, forming ceremonial centers.[5] Recent studies indicate that Chingaza in theChibcha language of the Muisca could have been calledChim-wa-za, which means "God's Night Mountains".[6]
The population around the park forms a rural community with its own forms of organization, dynamic internal and external relationships, and cultural patterns that distinguish it fromsmallholder farmer communities in other regions.[6]
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Source:Wills, Fernando; et al. (2001).Nuestro patrimonio – 100 tesoros de Colombia [Our heritage – 100 treasures of Colombia] (in Spanish).El Tiempo. pp. 1–311.ISBN 958-8089-16-6. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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