Gama, Cundinamarca


Gama is a municipality and town of Colombia in the Guavio Province, part of the department of Cundinamarca. The urban centre of Gama is situated at an altitude of in the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes. Gama, at from the capital Bogotá, borders Gachetá in the north, Junín and Gachalá in the south, Ubalá in the east and Junín in the west.

Etymology

Gama is derived either from Muysccubun meaning "our back", or from the language of the local Chío tribe; "behind the licked hill", referring to the lake of Guatavita behind the mountains to the northwest.

History

Before the Spanish conquest of the Muisca, Gama was inhabited by a tribe called the Chío. The first registration of the village was made in 1846, when the church in Ubalá was constructed. Gama was properly founded not earlier than 1903, by Juan Martín Romero.

Economy

Main economical activity in Gama is agriculture, with predominantly potatoes, beans, peas and maize cultivated. Other products include yuca, bananas, pineapples and coffee.