Gams

Gams
Gams village center
Gams Show map of Switzerland Gams Show map of Canton of St. Gallen
Location of Gams
Coordinates: 47°12′N 9°26′E / 47.200°N 9.433°E / 47.200; 9.433Coordinates: 47°12′N 9°26′E / 47.200°N 9.433°E / 47.200; 9.433
Country	Switzerland
Canton	St. Gallen
District	Werdenberg
Government
• Mayor	Werner Schöb
Area
• Total	22.3 km2 (8.6 sq mi)
Elevation	490 m (1,610 ft)
Population (Dec 2015)
• Total	3,296
• Density	150/km2 (380/sq mi)
Postal code	9473
SFOS number	3272
Localities	Altendorf, Buchser Berg, Burgerau, Räfis
Surrounded by	Buchs, Grabs, Sennwald, Wildhaus
Website	www.gams.ch SFSO statistics

Gams is a municipality in the Wahlkreis (constituency) of Werdenberg in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.

Gams is first mentioned in 835 as Campesias. In 1210 it was mentioned as Chames, in 1236 as Gamps. Until the Middle Ages it was a Romansh village and was known in Romansh as Chiamp.

Gams has an area, as of 2006^[update], of 22.3 km² (8.6 sq mi). Of this area, 59.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while 30.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 6.8% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (3.3%) is non-productive (rivers or lakes).

The municipality is located in the Werdenberg Wahlkreis, at the foot of the Alpstein sub-range of the Appenzell Alps and on the edge of the Rhine valley. It sits at the eastern entrance into the Toggenburg as well as the footpath over the Saxerlücke to Appenzell and St. Gallen. Additionally, it was on the most important trade route between Chur-Sargans-Lake Constance and was the starting point of the pilgrimage routes to Einsiedeln and Rankweil. It consists of the village of Gams with its surrounding settlements and the village of Gasenzen.

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Per fess Argent and Gules overall a Chamois Sable stantant on Coupeaux Or. The chamois (German: Gemse) on the coat of arms is an example of false canting. The name Gams doesn't come from Gemse but from the Romansh Campesias which means "field of sheep".