The residents of District 11 are heavily policed and severely punished for even minor infractions. The district is the fourth largest in terms of population and the second most impoverished district in the country.
District Profile of District 11
- District industry: Agriculture
- Location: Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.
- Population: 138,546
- No. of tessera claimed: 822,568
- Known victors: Chaff and Seeder
Industry of District 11
The primary industry of District 11 is agriculture. As such, the district has plenty of fields and orchards. The district, therefore supplies fruits, vegetables, and grains to the rest of the country.
The residents of the district are required to work in the fields while children attend school. However, it is all hands on deck during harvest time and even children are required to work on the fields then. All of them work from sunrise to sunset, and small children are sent to climb trees with high branches and pick the highest fruits.
Despite being an agricultural district, the residents of District 11 are still underfed. Most of the produce is exported to the Capitol. However, the workers are fed a little extra during harvest time so that they can work long hours. The workers are also given special equipment to help them work during night time during harvest season. This includes giving them a pair of sunglasses that provide them with night vision.
District 11 is also responsible for cattle rearing. ‘The Hunger Games: Tribute Guide’ describes District 11 as:
Known for its bountiful orchards, District 11’s workers spend their days among rustling fruit trees and sizeable farms.
Law and Order in District 11
The rules are much more stringent in District 11 than they are in District 12. This is possibly because District 11 supplies the food to the rest of the country and any discrepancy in meeting the daily quotas can affect all the districts as well as the Capitol.
“I’d have thought, in District Eleven, you’d have a bit more to eat than us. You know, since you grow the food,” I say.
Rue’s eyes widen. “Oh, no, we’re not allowed to eat the crops.”
“They arrest you or something?” I ask.
“They whip you and make everyone else watch,” says Rue. “The mayor’s very strict about it.”
Katniss Everdeen and Rue in ‘The Hunger Games’.
Rue mentions that rule-breaking is taken very seriously in the district. For instance, a simple-minded boy named Martin steals a pair of night vision goggles and is killed on the spot for this infraction.
The district is also surrounded by a 35-foot high wall, topped with barbed wire. The fence also has a lining of metal plates at the base to prevent anyone from digging underneath it. The perimeter of the wall has evenly spaced watch towers, which are continually manned by Peacekeepers. Thus, there is very little chance of escape for the residents.
The Justice Building, a large decrepit building that has weathered down over time, is located in the Town Square, which is much larger than the Town Square in District 12. The square is fenced with run-down and abandoned stores.
History of District 11
The involvement of District 11 in the First Rebellion is not known. However, the siege of District 11 would have most likely caused starvation in the Capitol due to a shortage of food supply.
Citizens of District 11 rioted after the death of Rue in the 74th Hunger Games. District 11 was one of the first to rebel, along with District 7, during the reading of the Third Quarter Quell card. The tributes from District 11 were involved in the underground rebel network to help Katniss break out of the arena. Soon after the arena was destroyed, District 11 seized control of the transport network during the Second Rebellion.
The rebels took control of District 11 after the bombing of District 8. District 11 was then able to provide food to the rebels in District 13.
Culture of District 11
The people of District 11 are mostly African American, with dark brown skin and dark hair, much like Rue and Thresh. One of the exceptions to this is Seeder, who has olive skin like the people from the Seam of District 12.
The signature bread from District 11 is shaped like a crescent moon and dotted with seeds. According to Katniss, the crescent-shaped roll is much more appetizing than the bread they get in District 12.
Music and songs form a significant part of the culture of District 11. People hum, sing, and whistle both at home and at work. Whenever Rue is required to work, she sings a simple four-note tune to signal the end of the day, which the mockingjays would then pick up and carry to the rest of the orchards.
The people of District 11 are well-versed in flora and medicinal herbs. They encounter tracker jacker nests in their daily work and carry around medical leaves to heal their stings. Most of the people from District 11 are given names related to plants and agriculture.
Location and Geography
District 11 is located along the Gulf Coast of North America, which is in the far southeast. It covers the states of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. These States typically have warmer weather, which corresponds to the weather noted by Katniss during her Victory Tour. It stays warm in District 11 long after it begins to snow in District 12, providing ideal weather for a longer growing season for a large variety of plants, trees, and crops.
District 11 is the fourth district from the east in Panem, after Districts 12, 8, and 6. It is bordered by four districts: District 12 on the northeast, District 8 on the north, District 10 on the southwest, and District 2 on the northwest.
Katniss mentions how vast the land seems to be in District 11. The dwellings of residence are placed far apart, with large expanses of plains and fields of crops in between. The dwellings are mostly poor and consist mainly of shacks, which are mostly left empty during the day as everyone is either at school or at work.
Notable Tributes from District 11
Dill is the female tribute from District 11 in the 10th Hunger Games. She dies of tuberculosis on the first day of the Games. Reaper Ash is the male tribute from District 11 in the 10th Hunger Games. He is killed by Lucy Gray Baird, who poisons him on the fifth day of the Games.
Rue is the female tribute from District 11 in the 74th Hunger Games. She forms an alliance and a close bond with the protagonist, Katniss Everdeen. She has a significant impact on the storyline, though she is later killed by Marvel in the Games.
Thresh is the male tribute from District 11 in the 74th Games. He is one of the strongest in the arena and one of the last remaining tributes. He is killed by Cato in the book and mauled to death by the wolf muttations.
Chaff is the male tribute from District 11 in the 75th Hunger Games. He is the victor of a previous Hunger Games (45th edition). He is killed by Brutus in the Third Quarter Quell. Seeder is the female tribute from District 11 in the Third Quarter Quell. She is also the victor of a previous Hunger Games. She dies in the Initial Cornucopia Bloodbath.
FAQs
Why did District 11 riot after Rue died?
District 11 rioted after Rue died to protest against the injustice of the murder of a young innocent girl. The district was also the second most impoverished district and therefore had various causes to riot against the Capitol. The most notable citizens who were rebellious in the nation include Johanna Mason, Peeta Mellark, Gale Hawthorne, Haymitch Abernathy, Mags Flanagan, Finnick Odair, and Beetee Latier among others.
Why was District 11 so strict?
District 11 was extremely stringent in its rules probably because it provided food, one of the most basic necessities, to the rest of the nation, and most importantly, the Capitol. As such, it was necessary for the workers to continually work, so that the Capitol would never be in any need.
Who started the riot in District 11?
There is speculation that Rue’s father started the riot in District 11. However, the books do not mention who started the riot. It is possible that the aggrieved sentiments of the residents were triggered after seeing a beloved young citizen of the district die in the Games. The prequel by Suzanne Collins, ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,’ provides some details regarding the state of the Capitol and the districts after the first war.
