Tenza Valley
| Tenza Valley | |
| Valley | |
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Chivor Reservoir and Dam in the Tenza Valley
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| Country |  Colombia |
|---|---|
| State | Cundinamarca, Boyacá |
| Part of | Eastern Ranges |
| Cities | Tenza, Garagoa, Sutatenza |
| River | Lengupá |
| Coordinates | 5°05′00″N 73°25′00″W / 5.08333°N 73.41667°WCoordinates: 5°05′00″N 73°25′00″W / 5.08333°N 73.41667°W |
| Highest point | |
| - elevation | 2,095 m (6,873 ft) |
| Lowest point | |
| - elevation | 395 m (1,296 ft) |
| Geology | Mesozoic-Holocene |
| Orogeny | Eastern Ranges, Andes |
| Timezone | Colombia Standard Time (UTC-5) |
 Topographical map of Boyacá
Tenza Valley is located in the south the elongated Chivor Reservoir is inside the valley |
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The Tenza Valley (Spanish: Valle de Tenza) is an intermontane valley in the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes. The valley stretches over the southeastern part of the department of Boyacá and the northeastern part of Cundinamarca. It is located east of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense and in the time before the Spanish conquest of the Muisca, as the Altiplano was inhabited by the Muisca in the higher altitudes and the Tegua in the lower areas to the east.
The Tenza Valley is named after Tenza which means in Chibcha: "Behind the mouth" or "Going down at night".
The Tenza Valley is situated in the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes at altitudes between approximately 2,100 metres (6,900 ft) in the northwest and 400 metres (1,300 ft) in the southeast. The Lengupá River, part of the Orinoco drainage basin, flows through the valley and connects the higher altitude Altiplano Cundiboyacense with the Llanos Orientales. The Une, Villeta, Socha, Macanal and Bogotá Formations outcrop in the valley. The valley is rich in water. The average temperature is 20 °C (68 °F).
The Tenza Valley was inhabited by the Muisca before conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada entered the central highlands of Colombia. The Tenza Valley was ruled by a cacique who was loyal to the zaque based in Hunza, present-day Tunja. On the fertile lands of the valley the indigenous people elaborated their agriculture. The valley was also important in the economy of the Muisca, hosting the important emerald resources of Chivor and Somondoco.
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Wikipedia