What does Banana Republic mean?
The country of Honduras is a good representation of the term “banana republic” according to The Economist.
It is described as “violent, poor, and politically wobbly.” It was coined by author O. Henry who set one of his works of fiction in a place he described as a “small maritime banana republic.”
In fact, this place was likely heavily based on Honduras since the author had live there for a time.
The word “banana” in “banana republic” comes from a time when large companies moved in to small, weaker nations. These companies would get land in exchange for building infrastructure (things like roads and streetlights.)
The companies would then use the land to grow different types of fruits, one of which being the banana. They would then export the fruits.
