{{For|the plant named Guasca|Galinsoga parviflora}} {{Infobox settlement |name = Guasca |native_name = |nickname = |motto = |settlement_type = Municipality and town |image_skyline = Guasca vista desde el occidente.jpg |imagesize = |image_caption = View of Guasca from the west |image_flag = Flag of Guasca (Cundinamarca).svg |image_shield = Escudo de Guasca - Cundinamarca.svg |image_map = Colombia - Cundinamarca - Guasca.svg |mapsize = 250px |map_caption = Location of the municipality and town of Guasca in the Cundinamarca Department of Colombia |pushpin_map = Colombia |pushpin_mapsize = 250 |pushpin_map_caption = Location in Colombia |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = {{flag|Colombia}} |subdivision_type1 = Department |subdivision_name1 = {{flagicon image|Flag of Cundinamarca.svg}} Cundinamarca |subdivision_type2 = Province |subdivision_name2 = Guavio Province |leader_title = Mayor |leader_name = Miguel Arturo Garavito Diaz<br><small>(2016-2019)</small> |established_title = Founded |established_date = 21 June 1600 |founder = Luis Enríquez |area_magnitude = |area_total_km2 = 346 |area_total_sq_mi = |area_land_km2 = |area_land_sq_mi = |area_water_km2 = |area_water_sq_mi = |area_water_percent = |area_urban_km2 = 8.8 |area_urban_sq_mi = |area_metro_km2 = |area_metro_sq_mi = |population_as_of = 2015 |population_note = |population_total = 14759 |population_density_km2 = auto |population_density_sq_mi = |population_metro = |population_density_metro_km2 = |population_density_metro_sq_mi = |population_urban = 5203 |coordinates = {{coord|4|51|57|N|73|52|38|W|display=inline,title}} |timezone = Colombia Standard Time |utc_offset = -5 |timezone_DST = |utc_offset_DST = |elevation_m = 2710 |elevation_ft = |website = [http://www.guasca-cundinamarca.gov.co/ Official website] |footnotes = }}
'''Guasca''' is a Colombian town and municipality in the Guavio Province, part of the Cundinamarca Department located approximately 55 km from Bogotá passing through the town of La Calera, Cundinamarca or 65 km passing through Sopó. Guasca borders the municipalities Tocancipá and Guatavita in the north, Junín in the east, in the south La Calera and in the west Sopó.<ref name=website>{{in lang|es}} [http://www.guasca-cundinamarca.gov.co/index.shtml Official website Guasca] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170711120205/http://guasca-cundinamarca.gov.co/index.shtml |date=2017-07-11 }} - accessed 05-05-2016</ref>
== History == Before the Spanish conquest of the Muisca of the central highlands of the Colombian Andes, the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, the area was inhabited by the Muisca who spoke Chibcha. Guasca was ruled by a ''cacique'' who was loyal to the ''cacique'' of Guatavita.<ref name=website/> In the religion of the Muisca, the Siecha Lakes were considered sacred.<ref>{{cite book |author=Ocampo López, Javier |authorlink=Javier Ocampo López |year=2013 |title=Mitos y leyendas indígenas de Colombia |trans-title=Indigenous myths and legends of Colombia |location=Bogotá, Colombia |publisher=Plaza & Janes Editores Colombia S.A. |isbn=978-958-14-1416-1 |page=226 | language=es}}</ref>
== Etymology == According to friar and Muisca scholar Bernardo de Lugo the name Guasca is derived from ''guâ'', "mountain range" and ''shucâ''; "skirt". The name thus means "skirt of the mountain range", indicating the position of the village with respect to the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes.<ref>{{in lang|es}} [https://muysca.cubun.org/Gram%C3%A1tica_de_Lugo/fol_7r Etymology Guasca according to Bernardo de Lugo] - accessed 05-05-2016</ref>
== Economy == Main economical activities of Guasca are agriculture; potatoes, carrots, flowers and strawberries and dairy farming.<ref name=website/>
== Tourism == Guasca is known for ecotourism and has access to Chingaza Natural National Park. Other natural areas are Los Encenillos and the Siecha Lakes.
== Born in Guasca == * Mariano Ospina Rodríguez - president of the Granadine Confederation
== Trivia == * The plant ''Galinsoga parviflora'' is called "Guasca(s)" in Colombia and an essential ingredient of the soup ajiaco * The spiders ''Anapis guasca'',<ref>{{wikispecies-inline|Anapis}}</ref> ''Deinopis guasca'',<ref>{{wikispecies-inline|Deinopis}}</ref> and moth ''Dognina guasca''<ref>{{wikispecies-inline|Dognina}}</ref> are found in and named after Guasca
==Climate==
{{Weather box|width=auto |metric first=y |single line=y |collapsed = Y |location = Guasca, elevation {{convert|2750|m|ft|abbr=on}}, (1981–2010) |Jan high C = 19.2 |Feb high C = 19.4 |Mar high C = 19.5 |Apr high C = 18.9 |May high C = 18.4 |Jun high C = 17.4 |Jul high C = 17.0 |Aug high C = 17.2 |Sep high C = 17.8 |Oct high C = 18.5 |Nov high C = 18.8 |Dec high C = 18.9 | year high C = 18.4 |Jan mean C = 13.2 |Feb mean C = 13.5 |Mar mean C = 13.6 |Apr mean C = 13.6 |May mean C = 13.5 |Jun mean C = 13.0 |Jul mean C = 12.6 |Aug mean C = 12.8 |Sep mean C = 13.0 |Oct mean C = 13.2 |Nov mean C = 13.5 |Dec mean C = 13.4 | year mean C = 13.2 |Jan low C = 5.9 |Feb low C = 6.6 |Mar low C = 7.3 |Apr low C = 8.3 |May low C = 8.5 |Jun low C = 8.4 |Jul low C = 8.2 |Aug low C = 8.1 |Sep low C = 7.5 |Oct low C = 7.6 |Nov low C = 7.8 |Dec low C = 6.6 | year low C = 7.6 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 37.2 |Feb precipitation mm = 46.8 |Mar precipitation mm = 68.2 |Apr precipitation mm = 83.4 |May precipitation mm = 94.3 |Jun precipitation mm = 71.1 |Jul precipitation mm = 72.7 |Aug precipitation mm = 59.1 |Sep precipitation mm = 52.6 |Oct precipitation mm = 85.0 |Nov precipitation mm = 80.8 |Dec precipitation mm = 43.7 |year precipitation mm = 794.9 | Jan precipitation days = 7 | Feb precipitation days = 9 | Mar precipitation days = 12 | Apr precipitation days = 16 | May precipitation days = 20 | Jun precipitation days = 21 | Jul precipitation days = 22 | Aug precipitation days = 20 | Sep precipitation days = 16 | Oct precipitation days = 15 | Nov precipitation days = 14 | Dec precipitation days = 10 | year precipitation days = 177 | Jan humidity = 83 | Feb humidity = 82 | Mar humidity = 82 | Apr humidity = 84 | May humidity = 85 | Jun humidity = 84 | Jul humidity = 85 | Aug humidity = 85 | Sep humidity = 84 | Oct humidity = 83 | Nov humidity = 84 | Dec humidity = 83 | year humidity = 84 |source 1 = Instituto de Hidrologia Meteorologia y Estudios Ambientales<ref name=IDEAM1>{{cite web |url=http://www.ideam.gov.co/documents/21021/553571/Promedios+Climatol%C3%B3gicos++1981+-+2010.xlsx/f28d0b07-1208-4a46-8ccf-bddd70fb4128 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160815025712/http://www.ideam.gov.co/documents/21021/553571/Promedios%2BClimatol%C3%B3gicos%2B%2B1981%2B-%2B2010.xlsx/f28d0b07-1208-4a46-8ccf-bddd70fb4128 |archive-date=15 August 2016 |title=Promedios Climatológicos 1981–2010 |publisher=Instituto de Hidrologia Meteorologia y Estudios Ambientales |language=es |access-date= 17 June 2024 |url-status=dead}}</ref> }}
== Gallery == {{left|<gallery mode=packed heights=180px> File:IglesiaSanJacintoEnGuasca.jpg|Basilica of Saint Hyacinth File:Iglesia de san jacinto.jpg|Basilica of Saint Hyacinth File:Vista nocturna de Iglesia San Jacinto.JPG|Basilica of Saint Hyacinth by night </gallery>}} {{clear left}} {{left|<gallery mode=packed> File:20 de julio MOR 2013.JPG|Street view File:Capilla de Siecha 8.JPG|Siecha chapel File:Lagunas de Siecha.jpg|Siecha Lakes </gallery>}}
{{clear left}}
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == {{commons category|Guasca}} * [https://www.cafelahuerta.com/ Café la Huerta]
{{Municipalities cundinamarca department}}
Category:Municipalities of Cundinamarca Department Category:Populated places established in 1600 Category:1600 establishments in the Spanish Empire Category:Populated places of the Muisca Confederation