Fosca is a municipality and town of Colombia in the Eastern Province, part of the department of Cundinamarca. It is located in the Ubaque Valley with the urban centre at a distance of 62 kilometres (39 mi) from the capital Bogotá at an altitude of 2,080 metres (6,820 ft). Fosca borders Cáqueza and Une in the north, Quetame in the east, Guayabetal in the south and Gutiérrez in the west.[1]

Fosca
Municipality and town
Flag
Location of the municipality and town inside Cundinamarca Department of Colombia
Fosca Location in Colombia
Coordinates: 4°20′N 73°56′W
Country	Colombia
Department	Cundinamarca
Province	Eastern Province
Founded	uncertain
Founded by	uncertain, see text
Government
• Mayor	Milton Albino Barbosa Rey (2016-2019)
Area
• Municipality and town	126.02 km2 (48.66 sq mi)
• Urban	0.19 km2 (0.07 sq mi)
Elevation	2,080 m (6,820 ft)
Population  (2015)
• Municipality and town	7,524
• Density	60/km2 (150/sq mi)
• Urban	1,916
Time zone	UTC-5 (Colombia Standard Time)
Website	Official website

History

In the time before the Spanish conquest, Fosca was inhabited by the Mau or Maco and Guaypi or Buchipa indigenous tribe.[1] The Muisca, living north from the area, had a fortification of guecha warriors stationed in Fosca to defend themselves from the Guayupe people who inhabited the region south of Fosca.[2]

About the discovery and foundation of Fosca three different versions are given; Nikolaus Federmann would have founded the town on September 1, 1538, captain Pedro de Limpias reached and discovered Fosca on his expedition from the Llanos Orientales on February 5, 1538 or Juan de Valcárcel passed through the area and moved the town centre to a different location on February 5, 1627.[1]

Economy

The economy of Fosca is concentrated around agriculture and livestock farming. Main agricultural products cultivated are maize, potatoes, coffee, arracacha, beans and peas.[1]

References

Bibliography

• Rodríguez de Montes, María Luisa. 2002. Los güechas o guechas en Cundinamarca - The guecha warriors in Cundinamarca, 1633-1646.