The word panem is Latin for “bread,” and given the similarity of the Hunger Games to the gladiatorial Games of Ancient Rome, it recalls panem et circenses, or “bread and circuses.” The phrase refers to the Roman Caesars' strategy of quelling public discontent by providing the people with plenty of food and ...
Fans of the popular The Hunger Games trilogy know that the stories are set in Panem, a futuristic area previously called North America, with a capital located somewhere in what was known as the Rockies. Panem is divided into districts, each of which has a primary industry.
(The word "Panem" is part of the Latin phrase "panem et circenses," which means "bread and circuses.") The country was divided into 13 districts, and the city called the Capitol ruled over the area.
Panem is also part of a larger Latin phrase, panem et circenses, this translate into English as bread and circuses or bread and games. Bread and circuses was the Roman idea of how to keep its populations from revolting by providing them food and entertainment.
The purposes of the Hunger Games are to provide entertainment for the Capitol and to remind the districts of the Capitol's power and its lack of remorse or forgiveness for the failed rebellion of the current competitors' ancestors.
History of Panem: Origin Story (Hunger Games Explained)
How did the country of Panem come to be?
Panem is a nation established after an unknown catastrophic event that destroyed a majority of the world, and all of North America. Panem is composed of 16 Districts, along with the governing state known as the Capitol. Each District is responsible for a specific industry.
How many times is Katniss name entered in the reaping?
It is also cumulative, so Katniss Everdeen, when she was sixteen, had her name put in the glass ball twenty times. Gale Hawthorne, who has five family members including himself, had his name put in the glass ball forty-two times.
We know that the history of Panem stretches for a time that is at least longer than 75 years. We know this because 74 years ago, the original districts rose up against the Capitol during a period known as the Dark Days.
Based on the minimal information, however, it was presumed that the rest of the planet became uninhabitable, making Panem the Hunger Games universe's only surviving civilization. One aspect that is repeatedly touched on in the series is the idea of nuclear war.
Panem is a dictatorship ruled by President Snow and predicated on authoritarian control. President Snow maintains his control by sowing division among Panem's people—divvying up the country into twelve districts—and ensuring their dependence upon the government.
Prehistory. Panem used to be what we know as the United States, Canada, and the northern and central portions of Latin America. However, sometime in the past, an unknown cataclysm occurred which caused sea levels to rise rapidly and unexpectedly.
After Maysilee was killed, Haymitch faced off against the last remaining tribute, a girl from District 1. Although his opponent nearly got the upper hand, Haymitch outsmarted her by leading her to the force field and dodging her ax throw, causing it to bounce back and kill her.
Many actresses auditioned for the role of Katniss before Lawrence, fresh off of her first Oscar nomination for Winter's Bone, was chosen. When she landed the coveted part, she was 20 years old.
In the books, Collins never declares when Panem is created in the wake of a global war spurred by a series of environmental disasters. An early draft of The Hunger Games script alludes to it happening about 300 years from our current future, so that's at least a window to work with.
That said, it was stated that an emergency election took place after Katniss assassinated Coin. Commander Paylor, a vital leader in the Second Rebellion from District 8 was elected as Panem's new president.
The citizens in District 4 were known to be wealthy and very good-looking. Their tributes were also Careers, training from a very early age to prepare for the Games. The most notable members of District 4 were Finnick Odair and Mags Flanagan.
The nuclear fallout of the war may have left the rest of the planet inhospitable, with Panem and its surrounding areas being the last havens of human life. Perhaps Panem and any surviving nations agreed not to interfere with each other to prevent another global war.
In Canada, many of the North islands flooded, and people moved to Panem. Parts of canada became district 6 and 7. In South America, Water rose and made it a large Island. The water was contaminated in the southern part, and people lived in the northern areas.
Caesar Flickerman's fate is never specified in the books or the movies. However, we can make some assumptions. 1 - He was killed by the rebel forces after their invasion of the Capitol. Being a symbol of one of the worst atrocities committed against the district's, he'd obviously be a target.
Also note this is a post-apocalyptic story, which means dealing with a massively reduced population by default. Even if we are generous and say the population of the US was only reduced by 50%, that would mean that Panem's military would only barely top 1 million (US military is about 2.2 million).
Each district was responsible for a different segment of Panem's economy, and, together, they kept the post-apocalyptic world habitable. There were 12 distinct districts within Panem. The entire nation was run by an authoritarian-totalitarian dictatorship led by President Snow from the Capitol.
The longest recorded Hunger Games lasted for 74 days, according to the books and movies. Who would have won Hunger Games if there had been no romantic complications?
Katniss, who is sixteen, will have her name in twenty times, and Gale, who is eighteen, will have his in forty-two times. Katniss's sister, Prim, is only twelve and has taken no tesserae, so her name is only in once.
District 12 has the most Hunger Games victors, with five winners, including Katniss, Peeta, Haymitch, and Lucy Gray. Finnick Odair is the youngest winner in history, winning at just 14 years old.
