The Hunger Games Tribute Guide by Emily Seife

T here was once a place called North America. But droughts and fires, hurricanes and tornados, and encroaching seas took their toll. Brutal wars broke out as people fought for the few remaining resources. The earth was scarred and desolate, the people terrified and hopeless.
    But out of the ashes and the wreckage rose Panem, a nation made up of a great Capitol ringed by thirteen districts, which brought peace and prosperity to its citizens for many generations.
    Then came the Dark Days, the uprising of the districts against the Capitol. The shining light of our nation was clouded by war — terrible war. The thirteen districts rebelled against the country that fed them, loved them, and protected them. Their revolt left the country in tatters. Motherless children filled the streets. The land was torn asunder. After a long struggle, in which many died, there came a hard-won peace. Twelve districts were defeated, the thirteenth obliterated. When the traitors were at last suppressed, we swore as a nation we would never allow such treason again.
    Thus was the Treaty of Treason written and signed, providing us with new laws to live by — laws that would guarantee peace. As a yearly reminder that the Dark Days must never come again, it was decreed on the same day each year, the various districts would offer up in tribute one brave young man and one brave young woman to fight in a pageant of honor, courage, and sacrifice — the Hunger Games. The twenty-four tributes are sent to an outdoor arena, where they struggle to overcome both man and nature, and triumph over the odds. Each year, the lone victor serves as a reminder of the nation’s generosity and forgiveness.
    This season is both a time for repentance and a time for thanks. This is how we remember our past. This is how we safeguard our future.
    Now the great nation of Panem, ruled by the shining Capitol, consists of twelve districts, each essential in its own way. Each district concentrates on producing one resource, so that only together do the districts form a cohesive, powerful whole. The Capitol collects and redistributes the food and the fuel so that every district, and every family, has what it needs to prosper.

District 1: Luxury
    District 1 makes the luxury goods that decorate and beautify our great Capitol. Its excellent taste and craftsmanship keep Capitol residents bewigged and bedazzled year-round.

District 2: Masonry
    Our nation would be nothing without District 2’s superb stonework. It builds and fortifies our cities, and its citizens are known individually for their strength.

District 3: Technology
    Panem is one of the most advanced nations in mankind’s history, thanks to the efforts of District 3. Its computers keep us all connected, and its electronic gadgets keep us all entertained.

District 4: Fishing
    Do you like seafood? Shrimp and crabmeat? Often overlooked, District 4 plays an essential role, bringing us the bounty of the sea. These citizens are adept with nets and tridents, and can swim like fish themselves.

District 5: Power
    Electric, solar, and nuclear — District 5 harnesses the energy of the earth and the sky in order to power our great nation.

District 6: Transportation
    Our hovercraft, our high-speed trains, and our cargo trains come to us from District 6. Ironically, the citizens here have little love for travel.

District 7: Lumber
    This beautiful district is lush with trees, from which these citizens supply our lumber and paper. The people of District 7 are hardworking and down-to-earth.

District 8: Textiles
    From the simple, lovely fabrics of the districts to the beautiful brocades favored in the Capitol, District 8 makes it all.

District 9: Grain
    District 9 is Panem’s bread bowl, giving us the fertile harvest we need to keep rising as a nation. Its amber waves of grain are an inspiration to us all.

District 10: Livestock
    The gentle lowing of cattle is the first thing a visitor to District 10 hears. This region raises