Bavaria:
From Encyclopedia:
BAYERN (in the German language), BAVARIA (in the English language) is a Bundesland (a State within the Federal Republic of Germany), but calls itself a "Freistaat" (Free State) based on its earlier historic standing. Bayern is divided into 7 Regierungsbezirke (Districts): Oberpfalz, Niederbayern, Oberbayern, Unterfranken, Mittelfranken, Oberfranken, and Schwaben. Bayern has 71 Landkreise, sometimes shortened to "Kreise" (similar to US counties) plus Kreisfrei Städte (cities large enough to be administered at the county level). There are a total of 373 Gemeinden (similar to US townships). In addition, there are 23 Städte (cities). Each Gemeinde or Stadt is a local administrative division.

Franconia:
From the Encyclopedia:
Historic region and one of the five basic or stem duchies of medieval Germany, S Germany. The region was included in the Frankish kingdom of Austrasia, becoming in the 9th cent. a duchy and the center of the East Frankish (or East German) kingdom. It stretched from the western bank of the Rhine eastward along both banks of the Main and included the cities of Speyer, Worms, Mainz, Frankfurt, Würzburg, and Fulda. The name of the duchy survives in three administrative districts of Bavaria.

Middle Franconia, Ger. Mittelfranken, 2,941 sq mi (7,617 sq km), in N central Bavaria, is a hilly, fertile region located in the Franconian Jura Mts. It is drained by the Altmühl, Rednitz, and Pegnitz rivers. Ansbach is the capital; Nürnberg, Fürth, and Erlangen are important industrial and cultural centers.