The Capitol: The wealthy, tyrannical ruling city located in the Rocky Mountains. It controls all resources and exploits the population for luxury. The Districts: Twelve surrounding territories oppressed by the Capitol. Each district specializes in a specific industry (e.g., District 12 is coal mining, District 7 is lumber, District 4 is fishing). The higher the district number, the poorer the region The Dark Days: Decades before the story starts, the districts launched an unsuccessful rebellion against the Capitol. The Punishment: As an annual reminder of the Capitol's total authority and a punishment for the rebellion, the Hunger Games were created. The Reapings: Every year, each district must hold a lottery ("The Reaping") to select one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18. These chosen children are called Tributes The Event: The 24 tributes are placed into a massive, outdoor arena (which changes every year, ranging from deserts to frozen forests). The Goal: The children are forced to fight to the death on live television. The Victor: Only one tribute can survive. The last standing child is crowned the Victor, receiving immense wealth, fame, and safety for life Careers: Tributes from wealthy districts (Districts 1, 2, and 4) who illegally train for the Games their entire lives and volunteer to fight. The Quarter Quell: Every 25 years, a special anniversary edition of the Games features a cruel twist to the rules (such as doubling the number of tributes or forcing past Victors back into the arena). The Mockingjay: A mutant bird species that becomes the ultimate symbol of hope and rebellion for the districts against the Capitol. The Gamemakers: A panel of elite Capitol scientists and directors who design the arena layout. They sit in a high-tech control room and can trigger artificial environmental hazards at any moment—including flash floods, forest fires, poison fog, or direct freezing temperatures—to force fighting if the action gets too boring. Sponsorship: Wealthy viewers in the Capitol can pay exorbitant amounts of money to send critical survival items to their favorite tributes. Sent via silver parachutes, these gifts include medicine, food, water, or tools. The price of a gift multiplies significantly for every day a tribute survives in the arena. Muttations (Mutts): Genetically engineered monster hybrids created in Capitol labs. Gamemakers unleash them into the arena as living weapons. Notable versions include Tracker Jackers (lethal, hallucinogenic wasps) and biological horror beasts engineered to look exactly like fallen tributes. If a family is starving, a child can choose to add their name to the drawing extra times in exchange for a year's worth of grain and oil for one person. These entries accumulate cumulatively. As a result, poor children from regions like the Seam end up with their names entered dozens of times, making them far more likely to be picked than wealthy children.