What Country Do Bananas Grow In?

Bananas grow in many places around the world. In fact, over 107 countries around the world produce a banana crop.

The first bananas to be cultivated were grown in Papua New Guinea. Since their appearance, they have been grown for their fruit, fiber and ornamental plants. The dessert bananas are the major export of bananas from Southeast Asia and only 10 to 15 percent are exported. The main customers are the United States and the European Union. The spread of the banana to the regions of North Africa and Iberia appears to have occurred during the Middle Ages. The regions of Palestine were introduced to bananas by the Islamic conquerors by 650 AD.

Portuguese sailors were responsible for the spread of bananas to the Americas and the West Indies. During the 15th and 16th centuries, most of the demand for bananas in Europe was being supplied by plantations in West Africa, the Atlantic Islands and Brazil.

Bananas were not widely known during the Victorian Era, but were introduced to the world at large by such literary works as Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne. This book was released in 1872.

What Are Bananas?

Bananas are a general class of fruit that describes a variety of different types that come in several colors, ranging from purple to red to yellow when ripe. Most bananas sold on the open market are yellow dessert bananas. They have very small seeds and are a sweet soft fruit. Green bananas that are used for cooking are called plantains.

Where Did Bananas Originate?

Bananas originated in the tropical climate of Southeast Asia. Archaeologists believe the very first banana cultivation occurred around 5000 BC, although it is possible that it actually occurred as far back as 8000 BC.

Both Southeast Asia and Africa, considered to be a secondary growing environment, show cultivation dating back to the BC time frame. While there is current debate over the date of the first introductions of bananas to Africa for cultivation purposes, it appears that there was knowledge of bananas from the period during the first millennia BC in Cameroon.

Linguistic evidence indicates that banana cultivation was widespread by the 600s AD. Most likely, Muslim Arabs introduced bananas along the Eastern coast of Africa during this period.

Banana Empires

During the 20th century, many financial empires rested on the profitability of banana exports from the countries of Central and South America. The support of the banana industry by the political regimes in these countries to bolster the production of bananas gave rise to the term “Banana Republic.”

Bananas Today

As of 2010, India is the leading commercial exporter of bananas. They export more than twice the amount of bananas than their closest competitor, China. Overall, the leading cultivators of bananas for export include India, China, Philippines, Brazil and Equador. Most bananas are cultivated and used within their home country for local consumers. Examination of the list of banana exporters shows it is quite easy to find a local exporter from the tropical region close to any location in the world.

The banana is a staple food crop for many regions of the world. Bananas provide starch for the diet, much as potatoes do in many colder climates. The stage of ripeness the bananas are allowed to reach determines the amount of starch or sugar that the fruit contains.

During the ripening process, enzymes are released within the banana that convert the starch of the fruit to sugar and enhance the taste. So, what country do bananas grow in? They grow in many of the countries that require a stable food source, because the bananas are readily available all year round.

Popular Bananas

The Cavendish is the most consumed and exported variety of banana. This has replaced the Gros Michel variety, which used to be the most exported banana until it developed a disease that affected the roots of the trees. In order to control the outbreak and eliminate the risk of the other varieties acquiring the disease, Gros Michel is no longer sold as a commercial product except in local markets.

As of 2010, there are some reports that Cavendish are being infected and suffering the same fate as the Gros Michel. Since all the Cavendish plants share genetic identity with each other, the process of the development of natural resistance to the disease has been eliminated.