Bavaria is the southernmost of the 16 Bundeslands in Germany. The name in German is Bayern. Its capital is Munich (in German München). Current minister-president of Bavaria is Edmund Stoiber.
Bavaria has 12 million inhabitants of which a majority are Catholic Christians. Two major rivers flow through the state, the Danube and the Main. The major cities in Bavaria are Munich, Nuremberg, Augsburg, Wuerzburg, Ingolstadt, Regensburg, Fuerth and Erlangen. Bavaria shares international borders with Austria and the Czech Republic. Neigbouring states within Germany are Baden-Württemberg, Hessen, Thüringen and Sachsen.
There are many famous Bavarians. They include painters such as Hans Holbein, Albrecht Duerer, Lucas Cranach and Franz Marc but also musicians such as Franz Liszt, Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss. The most read Bavarian writers are Thomas Mann and Bertolt Brecht. Among scientists the Nobel prize winners Konrad Lorenz and Wilhelm von Roentgen are probably best known.
The motorcycle and automobile maker BMW is a Bavarian industry.
Bavaria is also a Dutch beer brand.
History of Bavaria
external links
See the German state's own website: http://www.bayern.de/
The Dutch beer brand: http://www.bavaria.nl