We, the citizens of the Internet, are forever grateful for people with far too much time on their hands and a penchant for pure nerdiness. That's why things like this way, way overthought map of Panem, the mythical future word that's the setting for The Hunger Games, exist.
Two Livejournal users, Badguys and AimMyArrowsHigh, took into consideration the fact that "destruction of the modern structure and the rise of Panem was caused by a cataclysmic natural disaster" and varying speculations about sinkshelves and whether the Mississippi River was "the dam that broke in the 70th Games" and came up with a kind of enchanting, swirly map of what Panem might look like map-wise, were it in fact not completely fictional.
The entire explanation of the map's orientation and designations is worth a read, because it kind of makes total sense, despite the fact that it's absolutely bonkers. If nothing else, Hunger Games fans can figure out what district they're in and then grouse about how they'd rather not be stuck doing a lifetime raising livestock. [via Vulture]