"when an SSR started transitioning to a liberal democracy"
When USSR started transitioning to a banana republic that has to import its bananas from Finland.
This is how it was in 90-s.
When USSR started transitioning to a banana republic that has to import its bananas from Finland.
This is how it was in 90-s.
So, in addition to all your other nonsense, you're claiming that they grow bananas in Russia these days. Compare to FSB isn't spying, businessmen aren't extorted, etc... bananas being grown in Russia would be the most realistic of your claims about Russia so far.
And, there are several species of cold-hardy bananas: http://treesandshrubs.about.com/od/selection/tp/hardybanana....
So, growing bananas in Russia hardly seems like nonsense.
http://www.sochiclub.ru/sochiphotos/category/5-snow-in-sochi...
>So, growing bananas in Russia hardly seems like nonsense.
Well, the same thing was thought about corn in 60ies (state-wide corn enforcing campaign, 40+ years later still a source of countless jokes as you can force people to plant corn, yet you can't force corn to grow in that climate) and about putting monkeys into Siberia in 70s-80s (fortunately it was only a small pack of monkey that experiment was conducted on)
...
Your pictures are blocked at work for me, but Wikipedia shows pictures of both snowy mountains and lush sea-side vegetation in Sochi. Elevation as well as latitude affects growing conditions.
As far as growing corn in Russia or having monkeys in Siberia goes, they are entirely different matters as to whether or not it is possible to grow bananas in Russia.
Wikipedia reports that Sochi lies in a 8b/9a hardiness zone. The banana species I linked to can grow in hardiness zone 5. I maintain my position that it is possible to grow bananas in Russia.
Thank you for playing! Please try again.
you win as your logic's complexity is beyond my understanding considering that Iowa is in zone 5 and corn can be grown even in zones 2-4.
Here is a picture of a Musa Basjoo banana plant growing in Sochi: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Musa_basjooSochi1.JPG
The Musa Basjoo banana plant is growing in Sochi. Sochi is in Russia. Therefore, bananas can grow in Russia.
The whole banana discussion is missing the point.