Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a landlocked state of Germany. It borders the states of Baden-Württemberg to the west, Hesse to the north-west, and Thuringia and Saxony to the north, as well as the countries of Switzerland and Austria to the south and the Czech Republic to the east. The state's capital and largest city is Munich; other major cities include Nuremberg, Augsburg, Regensburg, and Ingolstadt. With an area of 70,550 square kilometres (27,249 sq mi), it is the largest German state, and with 13.08 million inhabitants, the second-most populous.
The history of Bavaria 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, the Duchy of Bavaria was created in Francia in 555 AD. It later became part of East Francia and controlled territory in modern-day Austria, Slovenia and Italy. Within the Holy Roman Empire it gained elector status in 1623 during the Thirty Years' War, eventually becoming the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1806. Following the Unification of Germany, Bavaria remained a kingdom within the German Empire until the end of World War I. The modern state of Bavaria was established in 1945 and became part of West Germany in 1949.
The culture of Bavaria is heavily influenced by its Catholic heritage. The Bavarian language is a group of German dialects 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 has a tradition of conservatism; the CSU is the largest party in Bavaria and is known as the 'sister party' of the national CDU, being collectively known as the Union.