The 13 Districts of Panem & Their Notable Characters

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Book reviewer & literary expert Francesca Graziella explains what each district does & where they’re located

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IN THIS ARTICLE

1 District 1

2 District 2

3 District 3

4 District 4

5 District 5

6 District 6

7 District 7

8 District 8

9 District 9

10 District 10

11 District 11

12 District 12

13 District 13

14 The Capitol

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Co-authored by Francesca Graziella and Raven Minyard, BA

Last Updated: September 1, 2026 Fact Checked

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If you’re a Hunger Games fan, you probably know that Katniss and Peeta live in District 12, but how much do you actually know about the other districts in Panem? Each district is responsible for producing a certain good or service for the Capitol, and some are certainly more well-off than others. In this article, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about each district (including the mysterious District 13), including their main industry, notable characters, and where they’re located, with wikiHow-exclusive insights from a book reviewer and literary expert.

NOTE: This article contains spoilers for the entire Hunger Games series!

What are districts in The Hunger Games?

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Book reviewer & literary expert Francesca Graziella says in The Hunger Games, the country of Panem is divided into 13 districts that produce different products for the Capitol and the rest of the country. The districts are located in what was once the US, Canada, and Mexico. Katniss lives in District 12.

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1

District 1

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1. 
   District 1 creates jewelry and luxury items. District 1 is the wealthiest district in Panem after the Capitol, explains Graziella, and supplies them with luxury goods. Its citizens are skilled crafters who create jewelry and other items. This district is considered one of the best places to live in Panem (other than the Capitol). Graziella adds that it’s a Career District, meaning that it’s not poor and its residents see participating in the Hunger Games as an honor. So, tributes explicitly train to survive the games.

   • Real-world location: eastern Idaho, southern Montana, and northern Utah and Wyoming
   • Notable characters:
     • Glimmer and Marvel (tributes in the 74th Hunger Games, the setting of the first Hunger Games book)
     • Gloss (victor of the 63rd Hunger Games and a tribute in the Third Quarter Quell, during which Catching Fire takes place)
     • Cashmere (victor of the 64th Hunger Games and a tribute in the Third Quarter Quell)
     • Panache, Silka, Loup, and Carat (tributes in the Second Quarter Quell, during which Sunrise on the Reaping takes place)
     • Facet and Velvereen (tributes in the 10th Hunger Games, during which The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes takes place)
   • Graziella notes that the second most winners of the Hunger Games come from District 1.
   • Curious where you’d live in Panem? Take our “Which Hunger Games District Would I Be In?” quiz to find out!

   Meet the wikiHow Expert

   Francesca Graziella is a book reviewer, literary expert, and content creator. She’s the founder of Under the Covers Book Blog and host of the Reading Under the Covers Podcast.
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2

District 2

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1. 
   District 2 manufactures masonry and weapons. Another Career district, District 2 is responsible for creating weapons, trains, and masonry, says Graziella. They supply the Peacekeepers and are known as the pets of the Capitol. Additionally, the Peacekeepers are recruited and trained in District 2. Therefore, they’re the second wealthiest district behind District 1.

   • Real-world location: Colorado, New Mexico, and parts of Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas
   • Notable characters:
     • Cato and Clove (tributes in the 74th Hunger Games)
     • Enobaria (victor of the 62nd Hunger Games and a tribute in the Third Quarter Quell)
     • Brutus (a former victor and a tribute in the Third Quarter Quell)
     • Alpheus, Camilla, Janus, and Nona (tributes in the Second Quarter Quell)
     • Marcus and Sabyn (tributes in the 10th Hunger Games)
   • According to Graziella, District 2 has the most winners of the Hunger Games.

3

District 3

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1. 
   District 3’s industry is electronics, engineering, and automobiles, says Graziella. The citizens of District 3 are responsible for manufacturing things like televisions and computers, which are a necessity for the success of the Hunger Games, making them an essential district in the eyes of the Capitol. Despite this, most of the citizens of District 3 are intent on seeing President Snow overthrown.

   • Real-world location: Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Missouri
   • Notable characters:
     • Beetee (victor of the 34th Hunger Games, tribute in the Third Quarter Quell, father of Ampert, and ally to Katniss)
     • Wiress (victor of the 49th Hunger Games, tribute in the Third Quarter Quell, and ally to Katniss)
     • Ampert (tribute in the Second Quarter Quell, the son of Beetee, ally to Haymitch)
     • Dio, Lect, and Coil (tributes in the Second Quarter Quell)
     • Circ and Teslee (tributes in the 10th Hunger Games)
   • Big fan of Sunrise on the Reaping? Take our “Which Tribute from Sunrise on the Reaping Am I?” quiz to find out which Second Quarter Quell you’re most like!
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4

District 4

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1. 
   District 4 is the fishing district, explains Graziella. District 4’s citizens are skilled fishermen, meaning they’re good swimmers who can find food for themselves. Because they’re highly trained, District 4 is also a Career district and one of the wealthiest in Panem, adds Graziella.

   • Real-world location: California, Oregon, and southern Washington
   • Notable characters:
     • Finnick Odair (victor of the 65th Hunger Games, tribute in the Third Quarter Quell, and ally to Katniss)
     • Annie Cresta (victor of the 70th Hunger Games and Finnick’s wife)
     • Mags Flanagan (victor of the 11th Hunger Games, tribute in the Third Quarter Quell, mentor to Haymitch, and ally to Katniss)
     • Urchin, Barba, Angler, and Maritte (tributes in the Second Quarter Quell)
     • Mizzen and Coral (tributes in the 10th Hunger Games)
   • Graziella adds that District 4 has the third most winners of the Hunger Games.

5

District 5

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1. 
   District 5 is responsible for supplying electricity throughout Panem. In other words, their industry is power generation, says Graziella. They control everything from the bright lights in the Capitol to the needs of poorer districts, like District 12. Most citizens work at a hydroelectric dam, and while they are better off than District 12, they are nowhere near as wealthy as the Career districts. In Mockingjay, rebels target District 5 in an attempt to cut off power to the Capitol.

   • Real-world location: Arizona and southern Utah
   • Notable characters:
     • Foxface (tribute in the 74th Hunger Games)
     • Hychel, Anion, Fissure, and Potena (tributes in the Second Quarter Quell)
     • Hy and Sol (tributes in the 10th Hunger Games)
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6

District 6

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1. 
   District 6’s industry is transportation, explains Graziella. They create all of Panem’s modes of transportation, from high-speed trains to hovercrafts. They also act as the hub for Panem’s transport network. District 6 is the largest district, both in size and population, and they support the rebels in their attempt to overthrow the Capitol.

   • Real-world location: Wisconsin, Michigan (especially near Lake Michigan and Lake Superior), and the southern part of Ontario, Canada.
   • Notable characters:
     • The Morphlings (former victors and tributes in the Third Quarter Quell)
     • Miles, Wellie, Atread, and Velo (tributes in the Second Quarter Quell)
     • Otto and Ginnee (tributes in the 10th Hunger Games)

7

District 7

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1. 
   District 7 is responsible for lumber and labor, Graziella says. They supply all of Panem with the lumber needed for everyday life. District 7’s tributes are often skilled with an axe, and the area they live in is rich with natural resources.

   • According to Graziella, District 7 was once its own independent nation.
   • Real-world location: Washington, Idaho, Montana, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada
   • Notable characters:
     • Johanna Mason (victor of the 71st Hunger Games and tribute in the Third Quarter Quell, ally to Katniss)
     • Blight (former victor and tribute in the Third Quarter Quell)
     • Bircher, Autumn, Heartwood, and Ringina (tributes in the Second Quarter Quell)
     • Treech and Lamina (tributes in the 10th Hunger Games)
   • Think you’d survive the Hunger Games? Try out our Hunger Games simulator to put your skills to the test.
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8

District 8

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1. 
   District 8 works in the textile industry. This district manufactures all the fabric and clothing used throughout Panem, most notably the Peacekeepers’ uniforms, Graziella explains. The citizens are skilled tailors, but District 8 is filled with factories and all the citizens live in tenement blocks. Because they have such a poor quality of life, they join the rebellion.

   • Real-world location: Kansas, Missouri, Tennessee, southern Illinois, and western Kentucky
   • Notable characters:
     • Cecelia and Woof (previous victors and tributes in the Third Quarter Quell)
     • Wefton, Notion, Ripman, and Alawna (tributes in the Second Quarter Quell)
     • Bobbin and Wovey (tributes in the 10th Hunger Games)

9

District 9

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1. 
   District 9’s industry is grains and farmland, explains Graziella. Because it’s responsible for food, District 9 is one of the most important districts in Panem, though it plays a very small role in the Hunger Games series. It’s the second largest district in terms of physical size, and it’s home to many fields and food-processing factories.

   • Real-world location: The Great Plains
   • Notable characters:
     • Sylva (previous victor and a tribute in the Third Quarter Quell)
     • Ryan, Kerna, Clayton, and Midge (tributes in the Second Quarter Quell)
     • Sheaf and Panlo (tributes in the 10th Hunger Games)
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10

District 10

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1. 
   District 10 is the livestock district, says Graziella. This district is responsible for raising animals to supply meat to Panem. Most of the meat produced goes directly to the Capitol, though some is sent to certain districts. Some districts receive no meat at all. District 10 does not play a large role in the Hunger Games series.

   • Graziella notes that District 10 was originally an independent nation.
   • Real-world location: Texas, parts of Mexico
   • Notable characters:
     • Buck, Lannie, Stamp, and Peeler (tributes in the Second Quarter Quell)
     • Tanner and Brandy (tributes in the 10th Hunger Games)

11

District 11

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1. 
   District 11’s industry is agriculture, Graziella says. District 11 is home to many orchards, fields, and cattle farms. They’re responsible for producing any food not produced by District 9 or District 10. They’re one of the poorest districts, with citizens living in small shacks, often patrolled by Peacekeepers.

   • However, Graziella notes that most of District 11’s produce is sent to the Capitol, leaving very little for the residents of District 11.
   • Real-world location: Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia
   • Notable characters:
     • Rue (tribute in the 74th Hunger Games and Katniss’s close ally)
     • Thresh (tribute in the 74th Hunger Games)
     • Chaff and Seeder (former victors and tributes in the Third Quarter Quell)
     • Hull, Chicory, Tile, and Blossom (tributes in the Second Quarter Quell)
     • Dill and Reaper (tributes in the 10th Hunger Games)
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12

District 12

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1. 
   District 12 is the coal mining district, says Graziella. Home to Katniss, Peeta, and Gale, District 12 is the smallest and poorest district, whose industry is coal mining. There have only been two victors before Katniss and Peeta—their mentor, Haymitch, and Lucy Gray Baird, the victor of the 10th Hunger Games who has been lost to history.

   • Real-world location: The Appalachian Mountains, says Graziella. It’s also the district farthest to the east (followed by Districts 8, 6, and 11)
   • Notable characters:
     • Katniss Everdeen (the main character of The Hunger Games, co-victor of the 74th Hunger Games, and the face of the rebellion)
     • Peeta Mellark (co-victor of the 74th Hunger Games and Katniss’s love interest)
     • Gale Hawthorne (Katniss’s friend and a leader of the rebellion)
     • Primrose Everdeen (Katniss’s sister, whom Katniss volunteers for in the 74th Hunger Games)
     • Haymitch Abernathy (victor of the Second Quarter Quell, Katniss and Peeta’s mentor)
     • Maysilee, Louella, and Wyatt (tributes in the Second Quarter Quell)
     • Lucy Gray Baird (victor of the 10th Hunger Games)
     • Jessup (tribute in the 10th Hunger Games)
   • Are you more of a Katniss or a Peeta? Take our “What Hunger Games Character Am I?” quiz to find out!

13

District 13

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1. 
   District 13 produces nuclear technology. At the beginning of The Hunger Games, both characters and readers believe that District 13 was destroyed after the First Rebellion. Before the rebellion, it mined graphite. However, it really conducted nuclear research and produced nuclear weapons, says Graziella. The district continued to exist as an independent nation, and its underground facility became the headquarters for the Second Rebellion.

   • Graziella adds that District 13 was the instigator of the First Rebellion. It was also originally an independent nation.
   • Real-world location: New York, Pennsylvania, Ontario, and Quebec, Canada
   • Notable characters:
     • President Alma Coin (president of District 13 and leader of the Second Rebellion)
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14

The Capitol

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1. 
   The Capitol is the technologically advanced capital of Panem. It’s home to President Snow and other elites. The Capitol rules over the districts and is responsible for hosting the Hunger Games each year. The Capitol treats the districts poorly, especially after the First Rebellion, and the government is overthrown during the Second Rebellion, thanks to Katniss and her allies.

   • According to Graziella, none of the districts actually touch. It takes hours by train to reach another district.
   • Real-world location: The Rocky Mountains (Wyoming and Utah), explains Graziella
   • Notable characters:
     • President Snow (president of Panem)
     • Effie Trinket (the escort for District 12’s tributes)
     • Cinna (Katniss’s stylist)
     • Tigris (President Snow’s cousin who helps Katniss and the other rebels)
     • Caesar Flickerman (the host of the Hunger Games)
     • Plutarch Heavensbee (the Head Gamemaker who is secretly a leader of the rebellion)
   • Rather live in the Capitol than the districts? Take our “Am I More Capitol, District, or Rebel at Heart?” quiz to find out where you truly belong.

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