Leben in Deutschland: Bayern

Image 2 shows the Bavarian state coat of arms with its well-known fields such as the lion, the Franconian rake, the blue panther and the Swabian lions. The white and blue lozenges are the hallmark of Bavaria. Images 1, 3 and 4 show the coats of arms of other federal states and are therefore wrong.

The district of Altötting lies in Upper Bavaria and therefore belongs to Bavaria. Prignitz is in Brandenburg, the Rhein-Sieg district in North Rhine-Westphalia and Nordfriesland in Schleswig-Holstein.

The Bavarian Landtag in the Maximilianeum in Munich is elected for five years. Three and six years are unusual for state parliaments, and four years apply to the Bundestag, not to the Landtag.

In Bavaria the voting age for municipal elections is 18; unlike in some other states, there is no voting age of 16 there. At 14 you are too young, and 20 is not a voting age in Germany.

The Bavarian state flag is white and blue, either striped or with the white and blue lozenges. Blue-white-red is the flag of Schleswig-Holstein, green-white-red that of North Rhine-Westphalia and black-yellow that of Baden-Württemberg.

The Bavarian State Agency for Civic Education provides information about politics, democracy and elections and offers materials and events on these topics. The public order office handles registrations and permits, the consumer advice centre advises on shopping and the churches are responsible for religious matters.

The state capital of Bavaria is Munich; the Landtag and the state government are based there. Ingolstadt, Regensburg and Nuremberg are large Bavarian cities, but not the capital.

On the map in the questionnaire, Bavaria bears the number 4. Bavaria is the largest territorial state in southern Germany and borders Austria and the Czech Republic. The other numbers stand for other federal states.

The head of government of Bavaria is the Minister-President; he or she is elected by the Landtag. A mayor heads a city or municipality, and the titles First Minister and Prime Minister are not used in Germany.

Under Article 32(1) of the Basic Law, foreign policy is a matter for the federal government, so Bavaria has no foreign minister. Justice, finance and internal affairs, by contrast, are the states' own responsibilities, and Munich has its own ministries for them.