The Banana

Over twenty percent of the world’s bananas are grown in India, but they’re not even in the top ten banana-exporting countries. They must really like bananas – they’re keeping them all for themselves. The world’s biggest exporters of bananas are Ecuador, who generously share over half their crop with other countries.

Bananas are radioactive. Each one contains about half a gram of radioactive potassium and the fruit is sometimes used to explain quantities of radiation. For example: two weeks after Fukushima’s nuclear power plant was hit by the Japanese tsunami, the Fukushima Town Hall had received a BED (Banana Equivalent Dose) of 1,000 – the same amount of radiation as if the town hall had eaten 1,000 bananas.

Over 100 million tonnes of bananas are produced every year, making it the world’s most popular fruit. Around the world, bananas are a staple food for millions of people – the fruit is considered to be the fourth most important crop after rice, wheat and maize.

The most expensive bananas in the world can be found in Australia – up to $15 per kilogram. The Australian government has banned imports of bananas, meaning that any problem with their own harvest reduces supply and results in huge price

A bunch can contain 400 bananas