banana republic?

Question

can any one explain the meaning of banana republic please,i hear the saying every now and again and don,t understand it, cheers

Answer 1

Banana republic is a pejorative term for a small, often Latin American or Caribbean country that is politically unstable, dependent on limited agriculture, and ruled by a small, wealthy and corrupt clique. The term was coined by O. Henry, an American humorist and short story writer, in reference to Honduras. "Republic" in his time was often a euphemism for a dictatorship, while "banana" implied an easy reliance on basic agriculture and backwardness in the development of modern industrial technology. Frequently the subject of mockery and humour, and usually presided over by a dictatorial military junta that exaggerates its own power and importance. "The epaulettes of a banana republic generalissimo" are proverbially of considerable size, usually portrayed in satire with a pair of mops.

Answer 2

OK

Forget the clothes line answers.

A banana republic is a country seen to have an unstable government,often controlled by outside influences.

They are called banana republics as the majority are/were in South America - the 1st time the name was used it was used for Honduras.

Woody Allens film Bananas is a great spoof on Banana Republic politics, you should watch it some time.

Answer 3

The term applies to a usually small island country that relies on such as a crop of banana's as the main source of income for that economy or country. The meaning then becomes that country is relying on the fact that if they dont get their act in order and the product ie bananas sold quickly they will be worthless threfore sums are done to grab the best price quickly or another more afluent country may try to drive the price down thus making the small country subserviant to the richer one. In short a country that relies on the good will of the buyer against the expertise of the seller is called a banana republic hope this helps

Answer 4

We might skip the Banana Republic part and go directly to Third World Nation.First we have to see the tell tale signs... 1). If China builds factories here to produce hazardous chemicals and pay us in rice. 2).If the United Nations and World Bank relocate to Canada. 3). If the interstate highway system becomes a gravel road. 4). If the midwest is no longer is prime farm land and turned into golf courses. 5). If you write to Santa and ask for a stick, to burn for heat. 6). If you see me on the freeway selling bags of fruit. It's not that bad when you consider your father went through the Depression, the dust bowl decade,the New Deal which part was the advent of Social Security Tax (1935) and income tax. Imagine taxing someone who has nothing and may be selling apples for a nickel.Than to top it off in 1942 has to travel to both sides of the planet to kill people he doesn't even know.It only looks bad now because we are accustomed to having so much.

Answer 5

Banana Republic
Includes Banana Republic online shopping, store locator, and catalog request form.
Banana Republic near you
www.bananarepublic.com - 3k - Cached - More from this site
Wikipedia: Banana republic
Banana republic is a pejorative term for a small, often Latin American or ... that the European Union has become a banana republic in a press conference. ...
Quick Links: Background - Modern usage - Paul Keating
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_republic

Answer 6

Banana Republic is one of Warnaco's clothing manufacturing subsidiaries. People associate the brand with clothing styles and trends.
Oh, I forgot.... It's also an economics term. It refers to a country that cannot produce anything good enough to compete in the world market.

Answer 7

an economic system dependant on a single export.

Banana republic is a pejorative term for a small, often Latin American or Caribbean country, which is politically unstable, dependent on limited agriculture, and ruled by a small, wealthy and corrupt clique. Coined by O. Henry, American humorist and short story writer in reference to Honduras. "Republic" in his time was often a euphemism for a dictatorship, while "banana" implied an easy reliance on basic agriculture and backwardness in the development of modern industrial technology. Frequently the subject of mockery and humour, and usually presided over by a dictatorial military junta that exaggerates its own power and importance. "The epaulettes of a banana republic generalissimo" are proverbially of considerable size, usually portrayed in satire with a pair of mops.


Background
It was in Honduras that the United Fruit and Standard Fruit companies dominated the country's key banana export sector and support sectors such as railways. The United Fruit Company was nicknamed 'The Octopus' for its willingness to involve itself in politics, sometimes violently. In 1910, Sam Zemurray, who 22 years later would take over United Fruit in a hostile bid, hired a gang of armed toughs from New Orleans to help stage a coup in Honduras in order to obtain beneficial treatment from the new government for his own banana-trading company, Cuyamel Fruit. Four decades later, the directors of United Fruit played a role in convincing the Truman and Eisenhower administrations that the government of Colonel Arbenz in Guatemala was secretly pro-Soviet, thus contributing to the CIA's decision to assist in overthrowing Arbenz's government in 1954 (see Operation PBSUCCESS). Pablo Neruda would later denounce the dominance of foreign-owned banana producers in the politics of several Latin American countries in a poem titled La United Fruit Co.


Modern usage
In modern usage the term has come to be used to describe a generally unstable or "backward" dictatorial regime, especially one where elections are often fraudulent and corruption is rife. The foreign influence may be political or economic, but the point is that a banana republic is controlled or heavily influenced by foreign corporations, either directly or through their government.

By extension, the word is occasionally applied to governments where a strong leader hands out appointments, advantages, etc. to friends and supporters, without much consideration for the law.

To some banana hobbyists located in the colder non-tropical growing areas, the term could also mean the warmest or most humid part of the province, country, growing area or locality[citation needed]. The coastal areas of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, for example, are referred to as the Banana Republic of Canada. Bananas like Musa Basjoo, Musa Sikkimensis have been successfully grown there with only moderate protection during the winter.

Answer 8

1

Answer 9

it doesn mean anythin....it is a small country ( in central america )
that is politically unstable and whose economy is dominated by foreign countries and depends on one export (such as banana )...

Answer 10

They're a fruity bunch.