Bavaria

  

Kingdom of Bavaria Königreich Bayern
State of Germany
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Bayernhymne "Hymn of Bavaria"
Country	Germany
Capital	Munich
Government
• Type	Constitutional monarchy
• Body	Landtag of Bavaria
• King	Max Emanuel
• Minister-President	Otto Rosen (Z)
Area
• Total	70,550.19 km2 (27,239.58 sq mi)
Population (2019)
• Total	18,124,737
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
ISO 3166 code	DE-BY
GRP (nominal)	633 billion (2019)
GRP per capita	48,000 (2019)
HDI (2018)	0.947

Bavaria, officially the Kingdom of Bavaria (German: Königreich Bayern; Bavarian: Kinereich Bayern), is a constituent state (Land) of Germany. With over 18 million inhabitants it is the second largest and second most populated German state after Prussia, though it is also one of the least densely populated states in Germany. Bavaria's main cities are Munich (its capital and largest city and also the third largest city in Germany), Nuremberg, and Augsburg.

The history of Bavaria includes its earliest settlement by Iron Age Celtic tribes, followed by the conquests of the Roman Empire in the 1st century BC, when the territory was incorporated into the provinces of Raetia and Noricum. It became a stem duchy in the 6th century AD following the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. It was later incorporated into the Holy Roman Empire, became an independent kingdom with the ascension of prince-elector Maximilian IV Joseph of the House of Wittelsbach as King of Bavaria in 1805, joined the Prussian-led German Empire in 1871 while retaining its title, which it has maintained to the present day. Bavaria is governed as a sub-national constitutional monarchy, currently led by King Max Emanuel of Bavaria. The monarchy is mostly ceremonial and the Minister-President of Bavaria is the head of the state government.

Bavaria has a unique culture, largely because of the state's large Catholic plurality and conservative traditions. Bavarians have traditionally been proud of their culture, which includes a language, cuisine, architecture, festivals such as Oktoberfest and elements of Alpine symbolism. The state also has the second largest economy among the German states by GDP figures, giving it a status as a rather wealthy German region.