The Capitol

**The Capitol** is the executive governing District of Panem. It is a technologically advanced city where the nation's most wealthy and powerful citizens live. As the seat of power in Panem, the nation's twelve Districts are ruled from this city, and the Hunger Games  are organized and celebrated inside its city limits (protected by anti aircraft guns and multiple launch rocket systems, or MLRS's).

The Capitol is a tyrannical dictatorship, led by President Snow, and holds total political and economic dominance over Panem. The Capitol enforces its rule through a ground army of Peacekeepers, an advanced Air and Naval defense, capital punishment, propaganda, the fear of nuclear devastation (like District 13), and the Hunger Games. The Capitol is also known for its fashion and food.

## Location and Geography

The Capitol is the heart of Panem. It is located in the northwest and is the central hub for all the Districts. It borders District 1 to the north, District 9 to the east, District 2 to the south, and District 5 to the west. It is heavily protected by the defensive forces of District 2, and is always the priority for receiving power generated in District 5. The Rocky Mountains also act as a natural barrier and as extra separation from other Districts.

## Society & Culture

Many Capitol residents are extremely shallow, always looking for ways to be noticed. An outrageous sense of style and fashion are very important to the citizens of the Capitol. It is 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, decorative patterns cut into their skin, and more outrageous fashions alluded to but not mentioned. These alterations are done so heavily that many would describe them as disfiguring, leaving the Districts wondering if the people of the Capitol realize how horrifying they look to the rest of Panem. Some people of the Capitol also have gems implanted in their skin. Capitol residents frequently wear wigs in a multitude of colors.

In order to have a good time at a party and eat as much as they want, Capitol residents drink a liquid (similar to ipecac) that causes them to vomit, thus providing enough room in their stomachs for more food. The residents seem 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 eat is extremely rich and appears in exotic and beautiful patterns, such as bread rolls shaped like flowers and oranges served with a sauce. Everything is luxurious and overwhelming for the tributes that arrive from the poor Districts (for example, food dispensers and showers with over a hundred buttons).

The people who live in the Capitol are culturally distinct from the rest of Panem, speaking with strange accents; their voices are high pitched, their jaws barely open when talking, and their tone at the ends of their sentences going up as if they're asking a question (this particular trait is present in real life Californian English). They have odd vowels, clipped words, and tend to hiss the letter "s."

People living in the Capitol are very easy to win over because, despite the fact that they enjoy theatric bloodshed, they love sentimentality and melodrama.

Capitol residents have often been said to treat the Hunger Games like a celebrated sporting event and a highly anticipated source of entertainment and past time. They take pride in betting on the tributes simply for bragging rights, not understanding or showing any regard for the horror their government is committing by forcing the games upon the districts. Some citizens are sponsors to the tributes, paying money for packages of supplies that are then delivered to them in the arena. Also, the more blood and fighting there is in the arena, the greater the entertainment for the Capitol. Unlike the twelve districts of Panem, the Capitol does not have to offer children for the Hunger Games.

It is also observed that they are unhappy about the previous Victors being thrown into the arena once more for the 75th Hunger Games, because they have grown attached to the Victors. Many Capitol citizens wanted to stop that Hunger Games from happening. However, the Games are still continuing.

Because Capitol citizens are extremely wealthy, very few of the residents have jobs or responsibilities. Life moves very slowly until the Games, which make them all the more anticipated. Despite being at the top of both the economic and social chain, there is very little in the way of celebration or festivity until the Games and Victory Tour.