Popular series The Hunger Games is set in the dystopian nation of Panem, which is composed of numerous districts. Ruling the country is the tyrannical Capitol, which enforces its will upon the less-than elite. This manifests in the Hunger Games themselves, with the citizens of the districts forced to engage in this barbaric practice at the behest of The Capitol. Though the bloody arena of these battles are frequently focused upon, the series never really explores what's outside the sovereign state.

As the only known home for humanity following the nuclear wars and climate change that decimated the planet, Panem's citizens believe life simply does not exist outside their walls. In both the Hunger Games novels and movies, the world outside of Panem is rarely mentioned. This leaves many wondering if Panem is the only country remaining. Though not much is present to confirm one way or the other, there are clues in the prequel, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Both the movie and novel feature a group of musicians who may solve the series' biggest mystery.

Updated by Timothy Blake Donohoo on December 6, 2023: The release of the movie The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes has seen a resurgence in the series' popularity. It also helps to reignite and possibly answer the question of what is outside Panem. With fans still wondering what happened to the rest of the world in The Hunger Games, the band of Lucy Gray Baird offers the closest thing to a definitive answer.

What Is the History of Panem in The Hunger Games?

Long before the events of the main Hunger Games books, the nation of Panem was formed in the wake of immense nuclear and ecological disasters. The way in which the country's society operated was heavily reminiscent of ancient Rome, with the later Hunger Games being an excellent -- if just as disturbing -- allegory for the concept of "bread and circus." As the name might suggest, Panem is built upon the ruins of North America, including areas from both the former United States, and Canada and Mexico. The map of Panem and its districts isn't completely analogous to present-day North America, however, with rising sea level having heavily altered the face of the continent.

District 12 is the easternmost district in the Hunger Games franchise, with 8, 6 and 11 following suit in that regard. The Capitol controls the nation as a veritable dictatorship, with antagonists such as President Snow being the rulers of all of Panem. Eventually, there was a widespread revolt against the Capitol that became known as the First Rebellion. Led by District 13, the fallout of this event caused The Capitol to enact the Hunger Games to truly cement its control over the districts. There was also a veritable Dark Age afterward, with many in the nation still being unaware of what's outside Panem. This also saw the start of the Hunger Games, which came to traumatize the lives of many.

District 13

Long before the time of District 12's Katniss Everdeen, the map of Panem also included District 13. Though supposedly used for graphite mining, this area actually handled nuclear research for The Capitol. This allowed the area to finally lead the charge against their oppressors in the First Rebellion, with the advanced technology at its disposal keeping The Capitol at bay. Unfortunately, the tyrannical regime threatened to further escalate things, and a deal with District 13 provided the latter with a pyrrhic victory.

Agreeing to these terms, District 13 seceded from the nation and became an independent country. This drastically changed the map of Panem, with most believing that it and its citizens simply no longer existed due to The Capitol's actions. This caused District 13 to suffer newfound hardships due to its new underground status, with a plague heavily impacting its population and rendering many citizens infertile. All the while, those from Districts 1 to 12 saw it as nothing more than a myth from a bygone era. The fact that a former part of Panem was rendered into the stuff of legend says a lot about The Capitol's control. Thus, it's not surprising that many fans of the series still question what is outside Panem.

The World of The Hunger Games Beyond Panem

Hunger Games series, many citizens of Panem don't believe that anyone lives outside the country. A likely reason for this is the Capitol's control of the information the districts receive. The long-running Hunger Games are just one way the Capitol maintains its dominion over the thirteen districts. Information about the world beyond Panem is likely kept confidential and out of reach of district citizens. The Capitol has an easier time controlling the population if the citizens believe Panem is the last viable human civilization on Earth.

Most citizens are too afraid to venture outside their districts, namely due to the control of The Capitol. They have no idea what's waiting for them beyond the map of Panem, and getting caught trying to leave one's District illegally is not something taken lightly. The Capitol uses this fear to its advantage in keeping the District citizens in check, keeping them from ever finding potential freedom in what is beyond Panem.

Life Outside Panem Remains Untouched

The chances that humans actually live in what's outside of Panem aren't as slim as some believe. The Covey were traveling musical performers, meaning they would need an audience to play for. If no people lived in the areas outside of Panem, then there would be no point for the Covey to travel there. Small tribes or groups of humans likely exist in the inhabitable locations of the world outside the eyes of The Capitol. The Covey were eventually forced to settle down, with one group living in District 12 following the First Revolution between the Districts and The Capitol.

Prequel protagonist Lucy Gray Baird -- a member of the District 12 Covey -- potentially ran away to the northern lands following her ambiguous escape at the end of The Ballad of Songbird and Snakes. She is the only known post-First Rebellion example of a person leaving Panem. The original novels revealed that District 13 was a hidden haven for people to escape to following its supposed destruction, but it still exists within the original land of Panem. While it's possible that Panem is the only country left in existence, a rival state may exist on the opposite side of the world.

If rival nations exist, they're probably not looking to invade Panem. Whatever caused the post-apocalyptic world of The Hunger Games would have left any surviving groups of humans weak and unstable. War would be the last thing on their minds, even potentially centuries after the world-shattering conflict. The Capitol shows no interest in expanding control beyond the Districts in any of the novels or films. Wherever it is that humans live in what's outside of Panem is deemed unimportant to the Capitol, which chooses to focus on keeping control of the people it already has.

The nuclear fallout of the war may have left the rest of the planet inhospitable, with Panem and its surrounding areas being the last havens of human life. Perhaps Panem and any surviving nations agreed not to interfere with each other to prevent another global war. Whatever the status of the outside world is, it's clear that Panem is too busy with its own inner struggles to focus on the people beyond its borders.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is now playing in theaters.