Sistema Lacustre de Chingaza. 25/06/08; Cundinamarca; 4,058 ha; 04°30'N 073°45'W. Parque Nacional. A complex of lagoons and wetlands that supply water to the capital city, Bogotá. Located in the Northern Colombian Andes between 3,050 and 3,950m a.s.l., this region supports one of the dampest páramos of the country and is a center of particular endemism which has been the refuge for more than 400 flora species and 500 fauna species, some of them endangered and others which have not yet been totally identified. The complex is formed by 20 lagoons and is of great importance for migratory birds. Among the species found under special protection, at national as well as international levels, the following mammals are noteworthy: Tremactus ornatus, Mazama rufina bricenni, Tapirus pinchaque and Tapirus terrestris, and among the flora: Espeletia grandiflora, Podocarpus oleifolius, and the palm genus Xeroxilum. The site is within the boundaries of the Chingaza National Natural Park, designated in 1977. The high andean lakes also have great pre-colombian ceremonial significance. Ramsar site no. 1782. Most recent RIS information: 2008.