Gams facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gams
Gams village center
Coat of arms
Gams Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Gams Location in Canton of St. Gallen Show map of Canton of St. Gallen
Country	Switzerland
Canton	St. Gallen
District	Werdenberg
Area
• Total	22.27 km2 (8.60 sq mi)
Elevation	490 m (1,610 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	3,587
• Density	161.07/km2 (417.17/sq mi)
Postal code	9473
Localities	Altendorf, Buchser Berg, Burgerau, Räfis
Surrounded by	Buchs, Grabs, Sennwald, Wildhaus

Gams is a small town, also called a municipality, in Switzerland. It's located in the Werdenberg area, which is part of the St. Gallen canton. A canton is like a state or region in Switzerland.

History of Gams

An aerial view of Gams from 1964.

Gams is a very old place! It was first written about in the year 835. Back then, it was called Campesias. Later, its name changed a few times to Chames and then Gamps.

For a long time, until the Middle Ages (which was around 500 to 1500 years ago), people in Gams spoke a language called Romansh. In Romansh, the village was known as Chiamp.

Geography of Gams

The towns of Buchs, Grabs, and Gams in Switzerland, along with Schaan in Liechtenstein.

Gams covers an area of about 22.3 square kilometers (about 8.6 square miles). A big part of this land, almost 60%, is used for farming. About 30% of the area is covered by forests.

A smaller part, about 7%, has buildings and roads. The rest of the land, about 3%, includes rivers or lakes and other areas that aren't used for farming or building.

The town is located in the Werdenberg area. It sits at the bottom of the Alpstein mountains, which are part of the Appenzell Alps. It's also on the edge of the Rhine valley. Gams is at the eastern entrance to the Toggenburg region. You can also find a walking path from Gams to Appenzell and St. Gallen.

In the past, Gams was on an important trade route. This route connected Chur, Sargans, and Lake Constance. It was also a starting point for people going on pilgrimage journeys to Einsiedeln and Rankweil. The municipality includes the main village of Gams and the nearby village of Gasenzen.

Gams Coat of Arms

The blazon (a special description) of Gams's coat of arms shows a black chamois (a type of goat-antelope) standing on golden hills. This is on a shield that is split into silver and red sections.

The chamois on the coat of arms might make you think the name "Gams" comes from the German word for chamois, Gemse. But that's not true! This is an example of "false canting". The name Gams actually comes from the Romansh word Campesias, which means "field of sheep".

Population and People

As of 2022, Gams has a population of about 3,700 people. A small part of the population, around 15%, are people from other countries.

Most people in Gams speak German, which is about 94% of the population. Other languages spoken include Albanian and Italian.

The people in Gams are generally well-educated. Many adults, between the ages of 25 and 64, have finished high school or gone on to higher education like a university.

Here's how the population of Gams has changed over time:

Entering the town of Gams.

Economy of Gams

In 2007, Gams had a very low unemployment rate, which means most people who wanted to work had jobs.

The town's economy is divided into three main parts:

• Primary sector: This includes jobs like farming and forestry. In 2005, about 230 people worked in this area, with many small businesses.
• Secondary sector: This involves manufacturing and construction. About 383 people worked in this sector.
• Tertiary sector: This covers services, like shops, schools, and healthcare. Around 393 people worked in this area.

Many people who live in Gams also work in other nearby towns. And some people from outside Gams come into the town for work.

Religion in Gams

According to a census from 2000, most people in Gams are Roman Catholic, making up about 63% of the population. About 23% belong to the Swiss Reformed Church.

There are also smaller groups of people who belong to other Christian churches, like the Orthodox Church. About 4% of the population are Islamic. A small number of people do not belong to any church or did not answer the question.

See also

In Spanish: Gams (San Galo) para niños