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Banana Index Recap
In search of the perfect banana
1996
Honduras (huge banana exporter); bananas hard to find for sale
1997
Ecuador wins cheapest banana award: 80 for 1 USD
1998
France: 3 bananas for 1 USD. Hold the bananas and bring on the wine!
Switzerland 2 for 1USD
Slovenia: 6 for 1 USD
Tent nights: 185
1999
Italy: 3 bananas for 1 USD and you can even buy Chiquita. Italy is home to the friendliest people in Europe.
Indonesian Banana Index: 10 kilos for 1 USD (a submission from Rocky touring in Indonesia)
South Africa 12 bananas for 1 USD
Kruger Park (South Africa) Banana Index: 8-10 bananas for 1 USD
Madagascar 60 for 1 USD. Best banana flambes in the world
New Zealand Banana Index: 6 for 1 USD (imports from Ecuador)
Tent nights: 146
2000
USA Banana Index (USA):5 for 1USD
Banana Index (CANADA):7 for 1USD
Mexico Banana Index: 10 for 1 USD
Tent nights: 110
2001
France banana index: 5 for 1 USD or 7 banananas for 1 bottle of passable Bordeaux or Muscadet. The Europeans may have lost the banana wars but there is no sign of any Central American bananas.
Luxembourg: Central American bananas are widely available. Banana Index: 4 for 1 USD. 6 in Aldi.
Netherlands banana Index: 4 for 1 USD
Tent nights: 104
2002
South Africa banana index; 25 (currency swing since earlier visit)
Namibia Banana Index: 18
Botswana Banana Index: 12
Zimbabwe Banana Index: 25 (before loss to sneaky monkeys)
Malaysia Banana Index: 14
Thai Banana Index: 30 (there are many banana varieties here, we use the Ord standard size)
Laos Banana Index: a staggering 50-80 delicious bananas for 1USD
Tent nights: 188
2003
California banana index: 5 for 1USD
Tent nights: 126
2005
Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia Canada Banana Index ™*: 4 for 1USD
Thai banana index: 16 for 1 USD
Laos Banana Index: 24-36, so lets say 30 per USD
Vietnam banana index; still under review. More haggling is required!
Vietnam banana index: 42 for 1 USD
Tent nights: 52
2006
Cambodian Banana Index: 40 for 1 USD
Sabah (Malaysia) Banana Index: 20 for 1 USD
Australian Banana Index in shambles, less than a nana per USD
Banana Index: no score
Tent nights: 216
2007
Oz Banana Index: improving, 2-3 per USD
Oz Banana Index: 3 per USD
Reports indicate a continuing deterioration of the Australian index by mid-year
Oz Banana Index at year-end: 5 per USD
Tent Nights: 173
2008
Switzerland Banana Index: 2 for 1USD,
Sweden Banana Index: 3 for 1USD,
Spain Banana Index: 2 for 1USD
France Banana Index: 3 for 1USD
GR5 (French Alps) banana index: 1.5-3 per USD (all from former French colonies)
Indonesia Banana Index: 20 for 1USD, but varies immensely
Tent nights: 185
2009
Indonesian Banana Index: 20 for 1USD (composite across 17,000 islands)
USA (lower 48) banana index: 4 for 1 USD
Alaska Banana Index: 2 per 1 USD
Alaska Big Box Store Index: 3 per 1 USD
Yukon Banana Index: 4 per USD
Tent nights: 126
2010
USA banana Index : 4 for 1 USD
Canada Banana Index: 4 for 1 USD
England Banana Index: 4 for 1 USD
Norway Banana Index: 3 for 1USD
France Banana Index: 3 for USD
India Banana Index: 11 for USD
2010 tent nights: 80
Banana notes:: 2010 is historic with the weakened British pound and stronger Canadian dollar and the USD denominated banana index has aligned in USA, Canada and England. The Norwegian banana index is somewhat misleading concerning the high cost of living there, because other prices are considerably higher. For instance; Norway would score much differently on the Big Mac Index where a hamburger costs NOK 80, or 13 USD.
2011
New Zealand banana Index : 3 for 1 USD
USA banana Index : 4 for 1 USD
Canada Banana Index: 4 for 1 USD
Hong Kong Banana Index: 6 for 1 USD
Malaysia Banana Index: 6 for 1 USD
2011 tent nights: 125
Australian Banana Index was once again in shambles following Cyclone Yasi which scored a bulls eye on the Queensland banana belt.
Time Magazine ran a story on Banananomics in May 2011
2012
Indonesia Banana Index: 22 for 1 USD
Philippines Banana Index: 22 for 1 USD
Vancouver Island (Canada) Banana Index: 4 for 1 USD
Mexico Banana Index: 8 for 1 USD, with considerable standard deviation and market prices as low as 22 for 1 USD
Belize Banana Index: 16 for 1 USD
2012 Tent Nights: 26. Lowest recorded since 2004 and substantially below our 15 year average of 124.
2013
USA Banana Index: 5 for 1 USD
Vancouver Island (Canada) Banana Index: 4 for 1 USD
2013 Tent Nights: 89.
2014
USA Banana Index: 5 for 1 USD
Vancouver Island (Canada) Banana Index: 4 for 1 USD
Palau Banana Index: 3 for 1 USD
Myanmar Banana Index: 16 for 1 USD
2014 Tent Nights: 71. 17 year average of 119 tent nights per year.
2015
Vancouver Island (Canada) Banana Index: 4 for 1 USD
Cuba Banana Index: 24 for 1 USD
Newfoundland Banana Index: 4 for 1 USD
Baja California Mexico Banana Index: 8 for 1 USD
2015 Tent Nights: 90.
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