Tausa

Tausa (ˈtawsa) is a municipality and town of Colombia in the Ubaté Province, part of the department of Cundinamarca. Tausa is and was an important town on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense due to its salt mine. It was the third most prolific salt deposit for the original inhabitants of the area; the Muisca. Tausa's urban centre is located at an elevation of (other parts of the municipality reach elevations of ) and a distance of from the capital Bogotá. The municipality borders San Cayetano, Carmen de Carupa and Sutatausa in the north, Pacho in the west, Sutatausa, Cucunubá and Suesca in the east and in the south with Nemocón and Cogua. The name Tausa comes from Chibcha and means "tribute". Tausa was inhabited since the Herrera Period. The town was an important mining location of halite for the Muisca. The zipa of Bacatá ruled over Tausa. The mining activities can be seen in the seal of the village; the pick and spade. Modern Tausa was founded on August 2, 1600. Main sources of income of Tausa are agriculture, livestock farming and salt mining.