| Chía | |||
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| Nickname(s): The Moon City | |||
| Location of the town and municipality of Chia in Cundinamarca Department. | |||
| Department | Cundinamarca | ||
| Province | Central Savanna Province | ||
| Foundation | Pre-Columbian | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Jorge Orlando Gaitán Mahecha | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 80 km2 (30.9 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 2,564 m (8,412 ft) | ||
| Population | |||
| • Total | 196,640 | ||
| • Density | 1,080.3/km2 (2,798/sq mi) | ||
| Website | www.chia.gov.co |
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Chía is a town and municipality in the Cundinamarca department of Colombia, located to the north of Bogotá on the main road to Zipaquira. Its history dates back to the pre-Columbian era. The name comes from the Chibchan language and means "moon" or "month".
Due to its proximity to Bogotá (2.7 km), Chía has effectively become a dormitory suburb of the capital. It is also home of the Universidad de la Sabana.
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Chía was a Muisca settlement in the pre-Columbian era, and an important ceremonial center of worship to the moon deity Chia goddess. In 1537 the Spanish, under the command of Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, took possession of the town.
In 1781, during the Revolt of the Comuneros, the march of the insurgents towards Bogotá stopped near Chía in order to cross the Bogotá River, in what is now known as the Bridge of the Commoners (Spanish: Puente del Común). At that site the viceroy signed a series of concessions to the rebels. However, once the rebel group had dispersed, the viceroy declared the concessions invalid for having been signed "under pressure". It is widely believed that eventually Bogota will merge with Chia, if the city continues expanding (as it happened with Bosa and Soacha).