Banana Republic (Noun)
Meaning
A small country (especially in Central America) that is politically unstable and whose economy is dominated by foreign companies and depends on one export (such as bananas).
Classification
Nouns denoting spatial position.
Examples
- The small island nation was often criticized for being a banana republic, with its economy heavily reliant on foreign corporations and its government plagued by corruption.
- After the coup, the country descended into chaos, earning its reputation as a banana republic with a fragile democracy and an economy controlled by outside interests.
- The term banana republic was coined to describe countries like Honduras, where foreign fruit companies wielded significant influence over the government and economy.
- Critics argued that the country's reliance on a single export crop made it vulnerable to fluctuations in the global market, a hallmark of a banana republic.
- The new government's efforts to diversify the economy and reduce dependence on foreign companies were seen as a step away from the country's history as a banana republic.