Bananas

Bananas currently account for over 7.1% of Costa Rica's export revenues. In 2007 alone, Costa Rica exported over 2 billion kilos of bananas to other countries such as Belgiium, Germany, and the UK. Because of the large amount of income that it brings to the country, banana production is very important in the Costa Rican economy and culture.
Costa Rica was the first Central American country to produce bananas, which began in 1878 after Minor C. Keith was commisioned to build a transnational railroad. Since he needed cargo and passengers for this new railroad, he planted bananas alongside the tracks to provide paying fares both inland and back to the sea. In 1899, Keith and his railroad companies merged with the Boston Fruit Company to form the United Fruit Company. Costa Rica became the world's largest producer of bananas in 1911, and it has continued to reamin as one of the top producers and exporters of bananas in the world since then.
Currently, bananas are cultivated in the Estrella and Matina valleys, in the lowlands of Santa Clara, in the area of Sixaola river, and in parts of south-west. A little more than two thirds of all bananas are exported by Chiquita, BANDECO (Del Monte) and the Standard Fruit Company, which is more commonly known as Dole.