Q.I. - Biggest Banana Republic in Europe

[CalumDRobertson]

I thought he meant the STORE Banana Republic....

[kingklabe]

31 years old and I never knew Iceland was part of Europe.

[nickjujitsu]

Wait a minute, Iceland is the biggest banana producer in europe? But QI said Ireland solds the largest amounts of bananas in europe. So what the fuck is going on?

[me4901]

@nickjujitsu Sometimes they get things wrong. 

[nukefluke]

@nickjujitsu Ireland buys Bolivias bananas, then sells them on. We don't produce.

[KnockoffNigeI]

This is wrong Mauritius is the biggest banana producer in Europe.

[me4901]

@KnockoffNigeI Mauritius isn't in Europe. It's in the Indian Ocean.

[MrDistrugator]

@KnockoffNigeI Mauritius isn't in Europe -_-

[SnorriFinnski]

Urban legend... I'm surprised that it made it to Qi. And for the record, there are no bananas grown in Iceland. And yes I was born there.

[carmen510]

@SnorriFinnski Actually, there were bananas grown in Iceland, but it was for research purposes, to prove that hot geyser water could provide enough heat for the bananas to grow.

[piouppioup]

@SnorriFinnski There are some in the green houses of the botanic school in Hveragerði (there was in 2009 anyway). Not grown for commercial purpose of course, but I guess no European country grow them for that anyway ?

[einsiol]

@Shinganzer Iceland is not a Scandinavian country, its part of the Nordic countries!

[einsiol]

@invertedquestionmark, @BabylonWhore666 Iceland is all in Europe. Geographically it is split 1/3 on the North American plate and the other 2/3 on the Eurasian plate. China is also on the Eurasian plate!

[Vonargandur]

That is a weird statement... Im Icelandic and ive never ever eaten an Icelandic banana... nor have I seen one... unless they grow them with those "Chiqiuta" stickers on them here.

But hey ... Stephen.... thanks for calling us a banana republic.

[RakshasaCat]

@Vonargandur Are you perhaps under a mistaken notion that the Chiquita stickers are some form of tropical insect remains that just happens to like bananas?

No, more likely is that the Icelandic banana plantations are run by or partnered with Chiquita.

[Vonargandur]

@RakshasaCat haha "the Icelandic banana plantations" lol i have yet to see them... we do have some greenhouses here and there however. But nothing huge, and all run by small time farmers, no big corporations like chiquita or something like that. And if we really produced alot of bananas... i would know about it. Keep in mind that Iceland is so small that if i fart, by this time tomorrow everyone knows about it :P

[ArchSaur]

wiki/Banana_production_in_Icel­and

[maryade]

This could not possibly be accurate. I've no doubt that bananas can and are grown in Iceland, but outproducing the Canary Islands, near the Equator with a consistent amount of sunlight throughout the year? Nonsense.

I could well believe that Iceland is Europe's biggest importer/consumer per capita, however.

[xxAlchemistressxx]

@maryade well, they use geothermic power to produce em. It's not impossible with all that natural heat. I've seen a couple of greenhouses while I was there, too. The production of bananas has gone down over the past few years however ;)

[clcpang]

Although I don't think it is intended, the initial question asked about the banana "republic". Now, Iceland is a republic, Spain is a kingdom.

[kilcommie]

00:55 Dara's head is smoking.

[preytec]

the largest European banana producer by far was Spain in 2007. iceland only experimented with it and not on a commercial scale.

[estarmes]

You can come to right answers by having the wrong assumptions.... Hmmmm did religion just gain credibility? No.

[jullifus]

i live in iceland.. and i'm pretty sure that this is wrong..

[SteinaIcelander]

@jullifus It's not wrong, homie :)

It's grown in Reykir but in a very small amount. That however is enough to count.

[invertedquestionmark]

@affablegiraffable Half of it is in Europe, the other half is in North America.

[affablegiraffable]

@invertedquestionmark

but...but.... its an island

[richardhunter37]

@invertedquestionmark It's all in Europe



[hrappurthor]

@invertedquestionmark only geographically. The nation itself is european

[Reifgar]

@invertedquestionmark It is part of the EU, so perhaps geographically it might be part of both North America AND Europe it is politically European. (I'm boring, I know)

[Sakkura1]

@Reifgar That's a great argument apart from the fact that Iceland is NOT in the EU.

[Reifgar]

@Sakkura1 True, but it is ALMOST there. So close. Ever so close. But it is most certainly not part of North America.

[kisbie]

@Sakkura1 It's in UEFA and Eurovision. That's good enough for me.

[Sakkura1]

@kisbie Being in UEFA and Eurovision (lol?) doesn't make a nation an EU member. Besides, a nation can be part of Europe without being part of the EU.

[FNT95]

@invertedquestionmark what? certainly all of it is European?

[wubs23]

@invertedquestionmark but all of it is in the ocean.

[thestranger4812]

@invertedquestionmark

The fuck are you talking about? The whole island is in Europe. You must have it confused with Greenland.

[CmdrVimes613]

@invertedquestionmark Iceland is in Europe, none of it is in North America. Not sure where you get your facts...

[omegavalerius]

@invertedquestionmark

Half of Iceland is on the same tectonic plate as Europe but then Singapore is on the same plate with Germany but only one of them we think of as being in Europe. Iceland is culturally, economically, and diplomatically very much in Europe.

[slytown]

@omegavalerius What other continent would it be on? I don't understand.

[morgski]

@slytown the western half of Iceland is on the other side of the mid-Atlantic ridge, so in tectonic plate terms it is on the same plate as North America

[ainsleywalker]

@invertedquestionmark I have no idea where you got that information from. It is geographically of course being on the mid ocean ridge, but the whole of Iceland is part of the EEA thus part of Europe completely. My Icelandic friend just told me this.

[Shinganzer]

@invertedquestionmark only if you're thinking of tectonic plates. They're a part of scandinavia and everything. They are also a member of EEA.

I consider them european.

[BabylonWhore666]

@invertedquestionmark MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP! Its part of the European Contininent and the EU. North America doesnt even come into it.

[SteinaIcelander]

@affablegiraffable Iceland is, and always has been in Europe. Geographically, as said, half of it is in Europe and the other half is indeed in North America.

But politically, it is in Europe.

[patsy02]

@affablegiraffable Yes, it is.

[affablegiraffable]

@patsy02

dude its an island

[patsy02]

@affablegiraffable So is Great Britain and Ireland.

[SteinaIcelander]

@affablegiraffable Wait...yes it is.

[affablegiraffable]

@SteinaIcelander

but its an island damnit

[MrSveddi]

@affablegiraffable

I live in Iceland and Iceland is a european country.

And I did not know about the banana thing.

[DanielKjeldal]

I must say, it is ever so lovely sitting here with a freshly plucked banana in my hand looking out at the frozen wastelands outside my window. No northern lights tonight, since it seems to be snowing, but the imagine peace tower is lovely. (yes I live in Reykjavik, NO there are no bananas growing here... just in case you were really really stupid :-p)

[gilli39]

@DanielKjeldal

Það er nú samt alveg slatti af bönunum ræktaðir á Íslandi. (Í gróðurhúsum að sjálfsögðu).

[DanielKjeldal]

@gilli39 woot no way:O Vissi það nú ekki:P

[gilli39]

@DanielKjeldal Hehe, QI lýgur sjaldan.

[MomSaysImCool]

Um... is Iceland a republic?

[binaway]

@MomSaysImCool Yes in 1944. Denmark being occupied could do nothing about it.

[anadus7]

I thought banana republic was referring to the clothes store.

[Zaroth123]

that's actually wrong, Spain is the biggest banana producer in Europe.

[lephong]

@Zaroth123 maybe the number of banana production has changed from the time of when this show aired to the number and location today.

[MetalSwitch95]

@NixorX like johnny vegas' masturbation answer.

[MetalSwitch95]

@NixorX Like Johnny Vegas' masturbation answer? Lol.

[xxAlchemistressxx]

Shortly, I shall see whether it's true that they've got bananas on Iceland. At least, I believe anything Stephen says (sort of), but I fail to convince my parents of this fact. I'll rub it (and bananas) in their faces! :P

[Veratoch]

This is actually not true. Spain is the bigges banana republic: /wiki/Banana_production_in_Ice­land

[JonGretarB]

@Veratoch Even though Spain grows these bananas they don't actually do it in Spain. They do it all in the Canary Islands and thus technically these bananas are grown in Africa.

However there is no commercial banana growing going on in Iceland. Just a experiment going on the viability of growing bananas using geothermal energy.

So basically there is no banana production anywhere in Europe. Having a few banana trees does not make you a commercial producer.

[NixorX]

Awesome. Always go with the most comedic answer, it might very likely be true (at least on this program).

[Chariset]

I like how Fry says "Phill, Phill, Phill..." like he's trying to talk down a slightly insane person.

[EggFriedSpam]

'I withdraw my pachyderm'

I say that whenever I finish bonking my gf

[ObsidianJones]

Gotta say, Favorited this just because of your quote.

[TimMeijerDoctor]

@EggFriedSpam There's a hundred people with you. Didn't know that insanity asylums had an Internet connection XD

Honestly, I'd LOVE to use that one...

[hempartist420]

@EggFriedSpam omg brits say some wacky shit, but bonking? really?

[arnorpsy]

I'm from Iceland but live in Denmark now, And i don't think that Iceland Produces more bananas there than here in Denmark. Well I think this isn't true :)

[05k4r5t31nn]

Actually this is true, nowhere in europe is produced more of bananas than in Iceland. But this is also true, they are made in the agriculture school in Reykir, and the quantity is so low that they are not sold but consumed in the schoole by staff and students.

[meowjellymoon]

HOLY CRAP LOL!!!

[darris321]

i withdraw my pachyderm xD

[egskilekki]

been to iceland. never saw a banana. surely there are caribbean and pacific islands owned by places in europe that produce more bananas than iceland. perhaps martinique, france?

[CasparWilson]

Thats not Europe though is it...

[egskilekki]

@CasparWilson geographically no, politically yes

[Veratoch]

@egskilekki Spain actually

[2spoonsmaloy]

ive heard this is not true, that iceland is Not the largest producer in Europe...can anyone verify this please?

[kenyoo611]

where can i get the full episode of this ?

[Bigfatbutterfly02]

what does the elephant mean? I've seen it in more episodes...

[invertedquestionmark]

In every episode during series D the answer to one question was "elephant". That's why they had to notice the elephant in the room.

[ackajacka]

Series E, surely?

For elephant? And Europe?

[Bigfatbutterfly02]

ok thanks x

[TheFinrider]

@invertedquestionmark correction in series E the answer to one of the questions was always an elephant

[throwingknifeladd]

@invertedquestionmark D? i thought it was E

[HcmJames]

@invertedquestionmark id there an elephant in every episode?

[knightorder]

@invertedquestionmark Season E, I think you mean. Do forgive the nitpick.

[geonegas]

@invertedquestionmark Actually, sorry to be annoying it was the E series...

[Shenoyk14]

@invertedquestionmark just saying, this was in series E

Hence Elephant and Europe

[dexdex1560]

@invertedquestionmark was it not E? E for elephant? for the lovely pachyderm that is the elephant?

[mattDX4life]

@invertedquestionmark Series E...E for Elephant

[KamiKazeroK]

@invertedquestionmark Series E!

[askesl]

@invertedquestionmark *Series E

[YubiShines]

"I withdraw my pachyderm."

:D! I do like the word pachyderm. I've rarely seen it used outside Asterix comic books...

[Bigfatbutterfly02]

what does the word mean?

[YubiShines]

It can refer to elephants, hippos, or rhinos, but I've always seen it meant as elephants. The word basically means "thick skin", which is what those animals have.

[Bigfatbutterfly02]

ok thanks x