Panem is a sovereign nuclear state and democratic constitutional republic established sometime after a series of ecological disasters and a global conflict brought about the collapse of modern civilization. It is situated in North America [6] , consisting of a federal district, the Capitol , and thirteen outlying districts. Panem's central government operated as a totalitarian dictatorship and police state with society, particularly in the Capitol, modeled on ancient Rome. The outlying districts were subservient to the Capitol, expected to provide services in exchange for protection given by the Capitol's armies of Peacekeepers , largely to the detriment of the districts' populace.
This unequal relationship was brutally enforced for several years, culminating in a civil war known as the Dark Days , led by District 13 , Panem's then-center of its military-industrial complex.
After three years of conflict, the rebellion collapsed with the apparent destruction of District 13, bringing an end to the war. However, unbeknownst to the wider populace of Panem, District 13 had survived, having organized a separate peace with the Capitol after securing a significant portion of the Capitol's stockpile of nuclear weaponry.
In accordance with the ceasefire, District 13 disengaged from the insurrection and appeared destroyed in exchange for its independence and a non-aggression pact. The remaining districts were quickly subdued with the resulting Treaty of Treason enforcing a harsh peace on them, as well as instituting the Hunger Games , an annual event established as a continual reminder of the failed rebellion. Public executions and whippings, restrictions on civil rights, and mass surveillance became widespread throughout Panem in the following years.
Travel and communication between districts were banned. For the next seventy-four years, the districts endured oppression at the hands of the Capitol through the Hunger Games.
