Definition of Banana Republic

The concept of Republic banana does not refer to any nation specifically, but it is usually associated with the countries of Central America and the Caribbean. This label is used to refer to those countries in which political, social and economic disorder prevails. There are several related connotations that we observe.

1) high levels of corruption and instability politics,

2) military governments with a quirky aesthetic,

3) deep social inequalities,

4) territories politically and economically managed by a foreign nation (usually the United States) and

5) tropical countries in which fruits such as bananas are abundant. Obviously, this name is used in a pejorative sense and, at the same time, with an ironic intention.

At the same time, the term banana republic presents a paradox: tropical nations are idyllic by nature, weather and living conditions, but on many occasions they are dominated by corruption.

It should be noted that this concept is not always used in allusion to a tropical country but can be used to refer to any circumstance in which corruption and instability prevail. Thus, if someone affirms "this looks like a banana republic" it indicates that something is immersed in some process of corruption and disorder.

The origin of the term

At the end of the 19th century, some US multinationals settled in different countries of Central America and the Caribbean. One of the most powerful was the United Fruit Company, which promoted the culture of bananas as the main activity. In this historical context, the American writer O. Henry (a pseudonym for William Sidney Porter) coined the term Banana Republic in one of his stories, specifically in "The Admiral", which was published in 1904.

In the story told there is talk of an imaginary nation called Anchuria, which is described as a banana republic (it is believed that the name literary de Anchuria corresponds to the Republic of Honduras, since O. Henry was residing in this country at the beginning of the 20th century). In this way, a denomination that was initially part of the description literary of a territory, became over time a common term in the language current.

Woody Allen's movie "Bananas"

In this 1971 film you can see some of the typical ingredients of the banana republics. Thus, the plot takes place in an imaginary country in Central America called San Marcos. In the different sketches that make up the film, the following elements appear: a bizarre dictator, groups rebels fighting for power, American influence in the territory, a corrupt people and situations absurd.

Photos: Fotolia - Lora_sutyagina / Michele Paccione