The Capitol

"*Remember who the real enemy is.*"
―Haymitch Abernathy, referring to the Capitol.**The Capitol** of Panem was a technologically advanced, seemingly utopian city where the nation's most wealthy and powerful citizens lived. The Capitol was also the colloquial name for the ruling government of Panem. As the seat of power in Panem, this city ruled the nation's thirteen districts (twelve after The Dark Days), organized and celebrated the Hunger Games inside its city limits (protected by anti-aircraft guns and multiple launch rocket systems, or MLRS's).

Prior to the Second Rebellion, The Capitol was a tyrannical dictatorship, led by President Snow (before his death) and previously President Ravinstill, and held total political and economic dominance over Panem, enforcing its rule through an army of Peacekeepers, capital punishment, propaganda, the fear of nuclear devastation (like District 13), and the Hunger Games. Commander Paylor became the new president after the Second Rebellion, and Panem was transformed into a constitutional republic.

## Location

It was located in the western, mountainous section of former North America. The Rockies also acted as a natural barrier and served the Capitol well, allowing their air force to bomb the rebels who attempted to invade the city during the Dark Days.

## History and founding

The Capitol was formed before the 12 districts, when some of the most wealthy, powerful, elite citizens and families of Panem came together. One such family included the Phipps family which was one of the Five Founding Members of the Capitol. Over time, more wealthy families and citizens came together, as the Snow and Crane family were both noted to be a part of an elite circle of an old guard of the wealthy from the Capitol.

It was extremely rare for citizens of the districts to emigrate to the Capitol. Capitol residents were the most elite citizens of Panem, and had some of the most vital and important occupations throughout the nation. The Moss family worked in the agriculture department, the Creed family worked with timber in District 7, the Crane family worked on transportation and travel with District 6, owning assets of hotels within District 10, and the Snow family owned laboratories within District 13. Thus, many Capitol residents were descendants of the wealthiest citizens within the outer districts. Citizens from the districts were still eligible for citizenship within the advanced city up to right after the first rebellion, as the Plinth family had earned a life in total wealth and power by deciding to side with the Capitol during the war within District 2.

## First Rebellion

In 3 BTT, a civil war had begun between the districts and the Capitol. The first rebellion lasted for 3 years, but half of the districts were crushed in the first year, resulting in the Dark Days.

During the first year, Snow's grandmother sang the national anthem of Panem, "Gem of Panem" while bombs were shooting down on the city. During the last two years of the war, the rebels had successfully managed to cut off vital food supplies of the Capitol. As such, this led to starvation and poverty of the Capitol citizens, as many families had to sell their goods, including furniture and clothing, to the black market to scrape by. In rare instances even, had led some citizens including Nero Price, a wealthy man who was widely considered a titan of the railroad industry, to resort to cannibalism. In the second year, just two months before they were defeated by the Capitol, District 5 managed to overtake the bomb warning alarm system of the Capitol and gave out fake threats, effectively dealing more damage when actual attacks were led into the city.

Also in the second year, rabies spread into the Capitol. With doctors, facilities and supply lines badly affected by bombing prior, the likelihood of citizens getting treatment overall for any illnesses was rather low. Snow theorized that the virus strain most likely came from a coyote from the mountains. Due to the poor healthcare, the virus strain developed at an unprecedented speed, killing over a dozen citizens before being brought under control by the Vickers vaccine.

By the end of the rebellion, the Capitol had managed a victory against the rebels when they attempted to scale the mountains that served as natural protection for the city. Effectively, due to their superior air force, the Capitol forces managed to deal great damage to rebel forces, and therefore had an upper hand in the rebellion.

However, near the end of 1 BTT, both District 13 and the Capitol had their nuclear arsenals pointed at one another. They diplomatically agreed to sign a peace treaty (the Treaty of Treason), allowing the Capitol to gain full control of the 12 other districts once more and allowing District 13 to function independently from the rest of Panem. Although was this unbeknownst to the rest of nation, as it was portrayed by the Capitol that District 13 was defeated by Capitol forces themselves, with the district destroyed and left radioactive.

After the rebellion, under President Ravinstill, the Hunger Games were announced by Volumnia Gaul and credited to Casca Highbottom, serving as an annual event to remind the districts of the cost of the rebellion. Even 10 years after the rebellion, the effects were still felt within the Capitol, as some streets Snow walked across still had rubble.

## Society and culture

"*Gem of Panem, mighty city, through the ages you shine anew.*"
―Lyrics from "Gem of Panem"Many Capitol residents were extremely shallow, always looking for ways to be noticed. An outrageous sense of style and fashion was very important to the citizens of the Capitol. It was common for them to tattoo and dye their bodies in extravagant bright colors, as well as undergo plastic surgery to alter their appearances. Known results of the surgeries are whiskers, dyed skin, talons, and decorative patterns cut into their skin. These alterations were done so heavily that Katniss described them as disfiguring, wondering if the people of the Capitol realized how horrifying they looked to the rest of Panem. Some people of the Capitol also had gems implanted in their skin. Capitol residents frequently wore wigs in a multitude of colors. When Katniss and Peeta talked on the roof the night before their entering the arena, Peeta admitted that it would be hard to tell if they were wearing any fancy costumes, because you might as well mistake their ordinary clothing for a costume.

In order to have a good time at a party and eat as much as they want, Capitol residents drank a liquid that caused them to vomit, thus providing enough room in their stomachs for more food. The residents seemed oblivious to the fact that although they go through lots of food and still have plenty left over, many of the districts' residents are starving. The food Capitol residents ate was extremely rich and appeared in exotic and beautiful patterns, such as bread rolls shaped like flowers and oranges served with a sauce. Everything was luxurious and overwhelming for the tributes that arrived from the poor districts (for example, food dispensers and showers with over a hundred buttons).

The people who lived in the Capitol were culturally distinct from the rest of Panem, speaking with strange accents: their voices were high pitched, their jaws barely opened when talking, and their tone at the ends of their sentences went up as if they were asking a question. They had odd vowels, clipped words, and tended to hiss the letter "s." Three exceptions to this were Cinna Goldridge, Tigris Snow and Plutarch Heavensbee.

People living in the Capitol were very easy to win over because despite the fact that they enjoyed theatric bloodshed, they also loved sentimentality and melodrama. Katniss Everdeen and other victors exploited that to further their own agenda. Haymitch Abernathy also stated that it was possible to gain support in the arena simply by gushing.

Capitol residents often treated the Hunger Games like a celebrated sporting event and a highly anticipated source of entertainment and pastime. They took pride in betting on the tributes simply for bragging rights, not understanding or showing any regard for the horror their government committed by forcing the games upon the districts. Some citizens were sponsors to the tributes, paying money for packages of supplies that were then delivered to them in the arena. The more blood and fighting there was in the arena, the greater the entertainment for the Capitol. Unlike the twelve districts of Panem, the Capitol did not have to offer children for the Hunger Games, although the idea was proposed by Alma Coin.

They were distraught about the previous victors being thrown into the arena once more for the 3rd Quarter Quell because they grew attached to them. Many Capitol citizens wanted to stop that Hunger Games from happening. Capitol citizens were extremely wealthy, and life moved very slowly until the Games. Despite being at the top of both the economic and social chain, there was very little in the way of celebration and festivity until the Games and Victory Tour.

Capitol citizens were noted to have quite high ranking and integral roles and occupations for Panem as a whole. For example, Iphigenia Moss' father worked in the agriculture department and determined and regulated the flow of food within Panem. The Crane family worked in the travel industry and the Creed family oversaw the production of timber within District 7. Pliny Harrington’s father was a naval commander within District 4 and Coriolanus Snow's family had assets for laboratories within District 13. Many Capitol citizens had high-ranking occupations within the districts themselves despite sour and unfavourable relationships with them, and this was a reason why the Capitol exploited the districts to such an extent.

There was also an academy and university for the brightest and most well-connected students. Even the Capitol had a black market, which Coriolanus Snow once purchased a pair of dark pants from and Pluribus Bell sold items in.

## Government and military

The Capitol had no localized city government, as the central government of Panem was housed in the Capitol. The President of Panem headed a cabinet whose members were chosen by the president himself. The individual members of the cabinet were charged with various duties and portfolios. Capitol citizens controlled the government, as all members of the cabinet were Capitol citizens. The following were the Panemian minister offices:

* Minister of Defense (held by Antonius)
* Minister of District Affairs (held by Clovis Calor Jr.)
* Minister of Interior (held by Egeria)
* Minister of Military (held by Bellona Phipps)
* Minister of Entertainment (pre-Second Rebellion, held by Volumnia Gaul, Priscus Piso, and Peony Albina)
* Minister of Consumption (held by Domitia Whimsiwick)
* Minister of Health
* Minister of Justice (post-Second Rebellion)
* Minister of Education (post-Second Rebellion)

Prior to the establishment of the constitutional republic in the wake of the Second Rebellion, elections were only able to be participated in by Capitol citizens. After the rebellion, this was opened up to all citizens. The Capitol exerted all political and economic control over Panem, and Snow's regime was exceptionally harsh in keeping law and order in the districts.

Headed by the president, who was the ultimate authority in the nation, the Capitol imposed a centrally planned economy on the districts, with all major industries under its control. The president served for life. The economic development of the districts was extremely limited, and most citizens lived in abject poverty. After the Battle of the Capitol, the Central Government was dissolved, and its members were arrested, including President Snow.

The Capitol employed a large military force known as Peacekeepers to enforce its laws and police the districts. The majority of the military's manpower came from District 2. With few exceptions, the only members of the military who resided in the Capitol were the military commanders. The Peacekeepers were armed with advanced, cutting-edge equipment and technology, including nuclear arms. Each district had one Head Peacekeeper to enforce the rules, and the Capitol had four Head Peacekeepers at a time due to its size. The Minister of Military and the Minister of Defense had equal authority over the Peacekeepers. Following the overthrow of the Capitol, the armed forces were disbanded as well, with large numbers of Peacekeepers arrested, tried, and executed.

## Relationship with the districts

The districts were required to import all of their resources to serve the Capitol's citizens and their overwhelming greed. Only a small percentage of these supplies would go back to the districts. The districts had no political representation since all power was invested in the central government in the Capitol, with a President acting as the supreme leader of the nation. The districts' mayors served as governors, ensuring the districts fulfilled their quotas of production. They served no electoral representative role as parliamentarians, senators, or congressional representatives. As a result, the citizens of the districts lived in abject poverty and under brutal oppression. The Capitol took advantage of the suffering, using it as a tool of control, to keep the districts in line and in servitude.

### District 1

District 1 supplied luxury goods for the Capitol. It was one of the Capitol's most favoured districts and was not an outlying district. The Capitol secretly allowed District 4 to train Career Tributes for the Hunger Games.

### District 2

District 2 provided stone for the Capitol by working in quarries. It was the Capitol's most favoured district and was not an outlying district. The Capitol favored District 2 as a lapdog, although District 2 was still not exempted from the Hunger Games. The Capitol secretly allowed District 4 to train Career Tributes for the Hunger Games. District 2 had the highest supply of Peacekeepers, and it secretly manufactured weapons under Capitol enforcement. Out of all the districts, District 2 was the most loyal to the Capitol. Following the end of the First Rebellion and the destruction (in reality, secession) of District 13, the Capitol looked to District 2 as the new center of its military-industrial complex. The Capitol's military operations were thus based in District 2's mountains, notably in The Nut.

### District 3

District 3 was the leading force in technology for the Capitol. It was not considered an outlying district.

### District 4

District 4 provided fish for the Capitol. It was one of the Capitol's most favoured districts and was not an outlying district. The Capitol secretly allowed District 4 to train Career Tributes for the Hunger Games.

### District 5

District 5 supplied many sorts of power to the Capitol, including hydroelectric, solar, steam, and diesel. It was not considered an outlying district.

### District 6

District 6 provided transportation for the Capitol. It had a large underground black market and most citizens had substance addictions. The Capito did nothing to help them and only punished them when their addictions inhibited their ability to work. It was not considered an outlying district but was heading that way in the years leading up to the Second Rebellion.

### District 7

District 7 supplied lumber to the Capitol. It had a system similar to slavery that was endorsed, but covered up, by the leaders of the Capitol. It was an outlying district.

### District 8

District 8 provided textiles for the Capitol. It was an outlying district.

### District 9

District 9 supplied grain to the Capitol. It was an outlying district.

### District 10

District 10 supplied livestock to the Capitol. It was an outlying district.

### District 11

District 11 was the leading force of agriculture and processed the grains and crops of other districts alongside harvesting crops. It was an outlying district. As a result of the importation of supplies to the Capitol, despite the citizens harvesting and processing crops, most of them did not have enough food to eat.

### District 12

District 12 supplied coal to the Capitol. It was an outlying district. As a result of the importation of supplies to the Capitol, despite the citizens mining coal, most of them did not have enough coal to power their district.

### District 13

District 13, unbeknownst to the other districts, was the Capitol's primary weapons supplier as its industries were in military arms production and nuclear weapons development and research. These industries were instrumental to supporting the First and Second Rebellions. As the First Rebellion was failing, Thirteen managed to get the Capitol to capitulate to a degree through a threat of mutually assured destruction with their nuclear arsenal. Thirteen was allowed to secede from Panem and would prepare for another rebellion in the following decades, and the Capitol created fear-mongering propaganda of District 13's 'annihilation' in the war, while hoping that the rogue district would eventually die out.

## Second Rebellion

Following the victory of Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark in the 74th Hunger Games, unrest began growing in the districts once more, particularly the outlying and most impoverished districts, such as Eleven and Eight. After Katniss and Peeta's failure to distinguish the dissent within the districts during their Victory tour, President Snow announced the 3rd Quarter Quell, in which victors were forced back into the arena as tributes. After the 75th Hunger Games ended with Katniss blowing up the arena, many districts turned to full-scale rebellion against the Capitol, with Districts 1, 3, 8 and 11 being the first the separate from Capitol control. The full-scale uprising, which after several months led to the takeover of all 12 districts by the rebel forces, was led and supported by District 13 and its military arsenal.

Rebel forces managed to set up military bases around the outer areas of the Capitol and made safe pathways leading further into the Capitol despite the pods activated by Gamemakers. By the end of the rebellion, as the Capitol evacuated citizens affected from the war residing in the outer blocks of the city, the rebel forces used the opportunity to further their assault within the Capitol. The invasion of the Capitol was ultimately successful, leading to the overthrow of the Snow regime and the arrests of large numbers of Capitol officials, including the president himself.

Interim President Alma Coin called for the remaining seven Hunger Games Victors to vote on a 76th Hunger Games using Capitol children. The victors approved by a narrow 4-3 decision. However, during the execution of deposed president Coriolanus Snow, Katniss Everdeen assassinated Coin instead. In the chaos that followed, a free election was held, resulting in the victory of Commander Paylor, a rebel military commander from District 8. The 76th Hunger Games were never held, and the event was entirely abolished afterwards. Under the leadership of the new administration, Panem was transformed into a constitutional republic. Massive economic and political liberalization took place afterwards, and many citizend still lived in poverty, but progress was made every single month to reduce the number.

## See also

* List of Capitol residents
* Capitol families
* Escort
* Stylist