The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Palatinate \Pa*lat"i*nate\, prop. n.
   Either of two regions in Germany, formerly divisions of the
   Holy Roman Empire; the Lower Palatinate or Rhine Palatinate
   is now within the Rhineland-Palatinate; the Upper Palatinate
   is now within Bavaria. It is usually referred to as the
   Palatinate.
   [PJC]

   Note: Palatinate The (p[a^]*l[a^]t"[i^]*n[asl]t). [F.
         Palatinat, G. Pfalz, ML. Palatinatus, the province of
         count palatine, from palatinatus, palatine.] A former
         German State. Its territories were originally in the
         region of the Rhine, and from the 14th century to 1620
         embraced two separate regions, the Rhine (or Lower)
         Palatinate (distinctively the Palatinate), and the
         Upper Palatinate (see below). The palsgraves on the
         Rhine, whose original seat was at Aix-la-Chapelle, were
         important princes of the empire as early as the 11th
         century. Early in the 13th century the Palatinate
         passed to the Bavarian dynasty of Wittelsbach, which
         soon after branched off into the Bavarian and palatine
         lines. The Palatinate was enlarged early in the 14th
         Century with a part of Bavaria (the Upper Palatinate).
         The Golden Bull of 1356 designated the Palatinate as
         one of the seven electorates. In the 16th century
         Heidelberg, the capital of the electors palatine,
         became a great center of Calvinism. The elector
         Frederick V., having accepted the Bohemian crown in
         1619, and having been overthrown in 1620, was stripped
         of his dominions. The electoral dignity was transferred
         to Bavaria in 1623, and the Upper Palatinate was
         annexed to it. By the treaty of 1648 the Rhine
         Palatinate was restored to its former rulers, and an
         eighth electorate created for it, the Upper Palatinate
         being confirmed to Bavaria. The Rhine palatinate was
         terribly ravaged by the French in 1674 and 1689. The
         Palatinate and the Bavarian lands were united in 1777.
         In 1801 the Rhine Palatinate was divided: all west of
         the Rhine was ceded to France; Baden received
         Heidelberg, Mannheim, etc.; and the rest fell to
         Hesse-Darmstadt, Nassau, etc. By the treaties of
         1814-15 the French portion west of the Rhine was
         restored to Germany: Prussia and Hesse-Darmstadt
         received portions, but the greater portion fell to
         Bavaria. This part is the present Rhine Palatinate, or
         Lower Palatinate (G. Rheinpfalz or Unterpfalz): it is
         bounded by the Rhine on the east, and borders on Hesse,
         Prussia, and Alsace-Lorraine. It forms a
         "Regierungs-bezirk" of Bavaria, with Spires as Capital.
         It is traversed by the Hardt Mountains, and produces
         grain, wine, coal, etc. Area, 2,289 square miles.
         Population (1890), 728,339. The Upper Palatinate (9.
         Oberpfalz) forms a "Regierungs-bezirk" of Bavaria under
         the title Upper Palatinate and Ratisbon (Regensburg).
         It borders on Bohemia. Capital, Ratisbon. It has
         extensive forests and flourishing industries. Area,
         3,729 square miles. Population (1890), 537,954.
         [Century Dict., 1906]