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The Rotten Banana ( Danish: ''Den rådne banan'') is an informal area of rural
The Rotten Banana ( Danish: ''Den rådne banan'') is an informal area of rural Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
facing significant economic disparities. The term ''Rotten Banana'' traditionally includes an area of Danish municipalities the west coast of Jutland to Lolland-Falster
Lolland-Falster is a common term for the two islands Lolland and Falster. The islands are only separated by the narrow strait '' Guldborgsund'', and as such have traditionally been grouped together.
Both the Gedser-Rostock and Rødby-Puttgarden f ...
islands in the southeast, forming a crescent shape reminiscent of a banana. This phenomenon has garnered media attention due to the stark economic disparities between these regions and more prosperous urban centers, like Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
, Aarhus
Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus municipality, Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and app ...
, and Odense
Odense ( , , ) is the third largest city in Denmark (after Copenhagen and Aarhus) and the largest city on the island of Funen. As of 1 January 2025, the city proper had a population of 185,480 while Odense Municipality had a population of 210, ...
.
The term was coined by Hanne W. Tanvig in the 1990s to draw attention to a contrasting phenomenon to the Blue Banana
The Blue Banana (; ; ; ), also known as the European Megalopolis or the Liverpool–Milan Axis, is a discontinuous corridor of urbanization in Western and Central Europe, with a population of around 100 million.
Over time, the region has bee ...
. The term, which holds a negative connotation, has been falling out of fashion, and media use of the term has declined. Tanvig regrets creating the term. In the time since the term was coined, studies have found that the area with highest unemployment has shrunken to primary west Zealand
Zealand ( ) is the largest and most populous islands of Denmark, island in Denmark proper (thus excluding Greenland and Disko Island, which are larger in size) at 7,031 km2 (2715 sq. mi.). Zealand had a population of 2,319,705 on 1 Januar ...
, Lolland
Lolland (; formerly spelled ''Laaland'', literally "low land") is the List of islands of Denmark#List of 100 largest Danish islands, fourth largest island of Denmark, with an area of . Located in the Kattegat, Belts and Sund area, it is part of Re ...
, and Falster
Falster () is an island in south-eastern Denmark with an area of and 43,398 inhabitants as of 1 January 2010.
.
See also
*Rust Belt
The Rust Belt, formerly the Steel Belt or Factory Belt, is an area of the United States that underwent substantial Deindustrialization, industrial decline in the late 20th century. The region is centered in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic (Uni ...
– a term for a region in the United States marked by economic decline
* Empty Diagonal – a low-density population region in France
* Golden Banana
The Golden Banana or Sun Belt is an area of higher population density lying between Cartagena in the west and Genoa in the east along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
The area runs along the Mediterranean coast, including the French cities ...
References