Banana republic
Banana republic (or Bananaland) is a pejorative term for describing a country which has a government imposed upon it by foreign power in a cynical, non-democratic way, and which serves as a form of colony providing some sort of raw natural resources (for example, bananas) in exchange for military support.The United States government (in particular the Central Intelligence Agency) is often accused of maintaining other countries as "banana republics," in Central America, for example, whence the term came.
Traditionally, the controlling foreign power need not be a state; a corporation such as the United Fruit Company can play the role. The imposition of such an arrangement can be appreciated in a poem by Pablo Neruda, titled "La United Fruit Co." in Spanish.
The term has come to be used to describe a generally unstable or "backwards" dictatorial regime or a country where fraudulent elections are regularly held.
Banana Republic is also the name of a chain of clothing stores owned by Gap Inc Banana Republic sells Gap, Inc.'s luxury line of clothing, with The Gap stores mid-line and Old Navy as their value brand.
Banana Republic stores, in their heyday, were known for their often striking window displays, often featuring authentic elements, such as real Jeeps, foliage and atmospheric elements such as fog and steam. Now their stores and displays are much less striking.