BAVARIA (Ger. Baiern, and officially, Bayern), one of the states of the German empire; according to its size, the second in importance. B. is divided into two unequal parts, which are separated by the Baden and Hesse-Darmstadt dominions. The eastern portion, comprising fully eleven twelfths of the whole, is situated between hit. 47° 20', and 50'41' n., and long. 9° and 13° 48' east. It is bounded n. by the Prussian province of Ilesse-Nassau, the Thuringian principalities, and the kingdom of Saxony; e., by Bohemia and Austria; s., by the Tyrol; and w., by Wilrtemburg, Baden, and the grand duchy of Hesse. The western part, occupying the Rhine Palatinate, on the left bank of the Rhine, lies between lat. 48' 5V and 49' 50' n., and between 7' 5' and 8' 27' east. Rhenish Prussia, the grand duchy of Hesse, and Baden bound it on the w., n., and e., and France on the south.
B. is divided into eight circles, as follows: Sutfece. Hydrpgraphy, Railways, may be described as a mountainous country. It is walled in on the s.c., n.e., and n.w. by mountains ranging from 3000 ft. to close on 10,000 ft. in height. The highest elevation is reached on the s., the Zugspitz of the Norte Alps being 9665 ft. high. On the c., the highest points of the Bohmerwald, dividing B. from Bohemia, are the Arber and Rachelberg, which are respectively 4613 ft. and 4800 ft. high. On the n.e., the Schneeberg, in the Fichtelgebirge range, attains a height of 3481 feet. A branch of this chain, which is connected on the n. w. with the Thuringerwald, extends s. between the rivers Regnitz and Vils. The RhOngebirge, the greatest height of which is 3000 ft., forms the northernmost chain of Bavaria. In the Rhine palatinate, the principal mountain is the Hardt, whose culminat ing peak is about 2300 ft. high. In the interior, B. is intersected in several directions by various less elevated ranges, alternating with extensive plains and fertile valleys. B is rich in wood, nearly one third of its surface being covered with forests, mostly of pine and fir.
As to its hydrography, B. has the Rhine flowing along the whole eastern boundary of
the circle of the palatinate. which is also watered by the Speyer, the Lauder, and the Quoin. The Danube enters B. proper at Min, where it is joined by the Iller, and pur sues its course in an e.n.e. direction through the center of the country, until it passes out at Passau into the Austrian dominions. Including its windings, the length of the Danube in B. is about 270 in., which can he navigated throughout. In its passage through B., it reeelyea.no fewer than 38 the chief of which, on the right bank, are, besides the Tiler, already mentioned, the Lech. the Isar, and the Inn; and on the left, the Wornitz, the AltinnId, the Kocher. the Naab, the Regen, and the Ilz. The II. part of B. is in the basin of the _Main, which. rising in the north, flows with many windings through the kingdom in a s.w. direction to the Rhine, with which it unites at Mayence. Its most important tributaries are the Reguitz, the Roach, the Tauber, and the Saale. B. has several takes, the principal of which are the Chictn, which has a circumference of ',.15 in.; the Wurm, with a length of 14 m., and a breadth of 4 m.; and the Ammer, with a circuit of 27 tulles. These lakes are situated in the south, at the foot of the northern slope of the Noric Alps. A corner of lake Constance also belongs to Bavaria. The lakes and rivers abound in fish. There are a few canals in the country, the most important of which is the I:Ma-lux-Kemal, which, taking advantage of the rivers Main, Regnitz, and Altmilld, unites the Rhine and Danube, and, through them, the German ocean with the Black sea. This canal was executed by government at a cost of upwards of ki830,000. B. has altogether about 1700 m. of railway in operation. One of the chief is that between Augsburg and Bimini' on lake Constance, a distance of 80 miles. These lines join Munich with Donauwiirth, Nnruberg, Bamberg. Ulm, Rutstein, etc. B. has about 0000 in. of public roads, and over 1500 of telegraphs.