Bayern
Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Thuringia and Saxony, as well as the countries of Austria and the Czech Republic. Its capital and largest city is Munich and other major cities include Nuremberg and Augsburg. With an area of 70,550 square kilometres (27,249 sq mi), it is the largest German state, and with 13.08 million inhabitants, it is the second most populous.
Bavaria's history begins with the settlement of Celtic tribes during the Iron Age. The territory was then ruled by the Roman Empire and incorporated into the provinces of Raetia and Noricum in the first century AD. Following the collapse of the Roman Empire, Bavaria was created as the Duchy of Bavaria in Francia in 555 AD. The Duchy of Bavaria then became part of East Francia and controlled territory in modern day Austria, Slovenia and Italy. Bavaria became a duchy in the Holy Roman Empire and gained elector status in 1623 during the Thirty Years' war, eventually becoming the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1806. Bavaria retained its title of kingdom under the German Empire until the end of World War I. The modern federal state of Bavaria as part of West Germany was established in 1949.
The culture of Bavaria is heavily influenced by its Catholic heritage and traditional conservatism. The Bavarian language is a group of German varieties in both Bavaria and Austria with around 12 million speakers, making it the largest German dialect. Other major cultural influences of Bavaria include its cuisine, consisting of foods such as weißwurst and leberkäse, its architecture, largely focused on Alpine symbolism in southern Alpine regions, and its major festivals such as the Oktoberfest in Munich.
Modern Bavaria's borders consist of Altbayern as well as parts of the historical regions of Franconia and Swabia. There are 7 administrative regions of Bavaria, 3 of which are in Franconia and Altbayern and 1 of which is in Swabia. Bavaria's CSU party is the largest party in Bavaria and is known as the 'sister party' of the national CDU, being collectively known as the union.
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