Ventaquemada

Ventaquemada is a town and municipality in the Central Boyacá Province, part of the Colombian department of Boyacá. Ventaquemada is located at a distance of 98 km from the capital Bogotá and 29 km from the departmental capital Tunja. The urban centre is situated at an altitude of 2630 m on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense in the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes. Ventaquemada borders Tunja and Samacá in the north, Boyacá, Boyacá, Jenesano and Nuevo Colón in the east, Turmequé and Villapinzón in the south and Guachetá, Lenguazaque and Villapinzón in the west.

Etymology
Former names of Ventaquemada are Padua and La Venta, indicating the commercial centre at a strategical location along the road between Bogotá and Tunja, historically the most important cities of the Altiplano. After the burning of the properties of Albarracín, the name Ventaquemada ("burnt sale") was given to the town.

History
The area of Ventaquemada before the Spanish conquest was populated by the Muisca, who were organised in their loose Muisca Confederation. Ventaquemada was part of the rule of the zaque of Hunza.

Modern Ventaquemada was founded on December 17, 1777, by viceroy Manuel Antonio Flórez.

Ventaquemada is close to the Puente de Boyacá, the bridge where the decisive Battle of Boyacá in the struggle for independence of Colombia was fought. Ventaquemada has a classical colonial house and a statue honouring independence hero Simón Bolívar. The train station of Ventaquemada has long been abandoned.

Economy
Main economical activity of Ventaquemada is agriculture; potatoes and maize are the major products cultivated.

Born in Ventaquemada

 * Héctor Moreno, former Colombian racewalker