Muisca People
Muisca was the Chibcha-speaking people that formed the Muisca Confederacy of the central highlands of present-day Colombia's Eastern Range. They were encountered by the Spanish Empire in 1537, at the time of the conquest. The Muisca were mostly divided by allegiances to three great rulers: the Zaque, centered in Chunza, ruling a territory roughly covering modern southern and northeastern Boyacá and southern Santander; and the Zipa, centered in Bacatá, its territory embarking most of modern Cundinamarca, the western Llanos and northeastern Tolima; and the Iraca, ruler of Suamox and modern northeaster Boyacá and southwestern Santander.
The territory of the Muisca spanned an area of 46,972 square kilometres (18,136 sq mi) (a region slightly larger than Switzerland) from the north of Boyacá to the Sumapaz Páramo and from the summits of the Eastern Range to the Magdalena Valley. It bordered the territories of the Panches and Pijaos tribes.
At the time of the Spanish Conquest, the area had a large population, but the precise number of inhabitants is currently unknown. The languages of the Muisca were dialects of Chibcha, also called Muysca and Mosca, which belong to the Chibchan language family. The economy was based on agriculture, metalworking and manufacturing.
Read more about Muisca People: Political and Administrative Organization, Economy, Language, Culture, History of The Muisca People, Muisca Research
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