This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data


[ Papers | Articles | Software | Books | Chapters | Authors | Institutions | JEL Classification | NEP reports | Search | New papers by email | Author registration | Rankings | Volunteers | FAQ | Blog | Help! ]

Did Colonization Matter for Growth? An Empirical Exploration into the Historical Causes of Africa's Underdevelopment

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
Bertocchi, Graziella
Canova, Fabio

Additional information is available for the following registered author(s):

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of twentieth-century European colonization on African countries. We find that colonization mattered for growth. The following had some beneficial growth effects: being a dependency rather than a colony; being a colony of France or the United Kingdom rather than Belgium, Italy or Portugal; and being less exploited. On average, growth accelerates after independence. Variables proxying for colonial heritage add explanatory power to standard growth regressions, while indicators for human capital and political and ethnic instability lose significance. The coefficient of a dummy for sub-Saharan Africa becomes less significant in a cross section of 98 countries after controlling for colonial experience.

Download Info
To download:

If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. Information about this may be contained in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

File URL: http://www.cepr.org/pubs/dps/DP1444.asp
File Format: application/pdf
File Function:
Download Restriction: CEPR Discussion Papers are free to download for our researchers, subscribers and members. If you fall into one of these categories but have trouble downloading our papers, please contact us at subscribers@cepr.org

As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version under "Related research" (further below) or search for a different version of it.

Publisher Info
Paper provided by C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers in its series CEPR Discussion Papers with number 1444.

Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Length:
Date of creation: Sep 1996
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:1444

Contact details of provider:
Postal: Centre for Economic Policy Research, 53--56 Great Sutton Street, London EC1V 0DG
Phone: 44 - 20 - 7183 8801
Fax: 44 - 20 - 7183 8820

Order Information:
Email:

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: ().

Related research
Keywords: Africa; Colonization; Growth;

Other versions of this item:

Find related papers by JEL classification:
E00 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General - - - General
N10 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Growth and Fluctuations - - - General, International, or Comparative
O40 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General
Q32 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation - - - Exhaustible Resources and Economic Development

Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Kalemli-Ozcan, Sebnem & Reshef, Ariell & Sorensen, Bent E & Yosha, Oved, 2006. "Why Does Capital Flow to Rich States?," CEPR Discussion Papers 5635, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  2. Galor, Oded & Moav, Omer & Vollrath, Dietrich, 2008. "Inequality in Land Ownership, the Emergence of Human Capital Promoting Institutions and the Great Divergence," CEPR Discussion Papers 6751, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  3. Oded Galor & Omer Moav & Dietrich Vollrath, 2005. "The Emergence of Human Capital Promoting Institutions in the Process of Development," GE, Growth, Math methods 0508008, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
  4. Oded Galor & Quamrul Ashraf, 2008. "Human Genetic Diversity and Comparative Economic Development," Working Papers 2008-3, Brown University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. Olsson, Ola, 2004. "Unbundling Ex-Colonies: A Comment on Acemoglu, Johnson, and Robinson, 2001," Working Papers in Economics 146, Göteborg University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  6. L Angeles, 2005. "Income Inequality and Colonialism," Centre for Growth and Business Cycle Research Discussion Paper Series 66, Economics, The Univeristy of Manchester. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  7. Pierre-Richard Agénor, 2006. "A Theory of Infrastructure-led Development," Centre for Growth and Business Cycle Research Discussion Paper Series 83, Economics, The Univeristy of Manchester. [Downloadable!]
  8. Jones, Patricia, . "Did the Colonial Powers Pick Economic Winners?," Vassar College Department of Economics Working Paper Series 89, Vassar College Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  9. Oded Galor & Omer Moav & Dietrich Vollrath, 2004. "Land Inequality and the Origin of Divergence and Overtaking in the Growth Process," GE, Growth, Math methods 0410004, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
  10. Daron Acemoglu & Simon Johnson & James A. Robinson, 2005. "Los orígenes coloniales del desarrollo comparativo: una investigación empírica," Revista de Economía Institucional, Universidad Externado de Colombia - Facultad de Economía, vol. 7(13), pages 17-67, July-Dece. [Downloadable!]
  11. Graziella Bertocchi & Chiara Strozzi, 2008. "International Migration and the Role of Institutions," Center for Economic Research (RECent) 012, University of Modena and Reggio E., Dept. of Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  12. Matthias Cinyabuguma & Louis Putterman, 2006. "Sub-Saharan Growth Surprises: Geography, Institutions And History in an all African Data Panel," Working Papers 2006-21, Brown University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  13. Pierre-Richard Agénor, 2006. "A Theory of Infrastructure-led Development," The School of Economics Discussion Paper Series 0640, Economics, The University of Manchester. [Downloadable!]
  14. Oded Galor & Omer Moav & Dietrich Vollrath, 2006. "Inequality in Land Ownership, the Emergence of Human Capital Promoting Institutions, and Great Divergence," Working Papers 2006-14, Brown University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  15. Chris Papageorgiou & Winford H. Masanjala, . "Initial Conditions, European Colonialism and Africa's Growth," Departmental Working Papers 2006-01, Department of Economics, Louisiana State University. [Downloadable!]
  16. Nathan Nunn, 2004. "Slavery, Institutional Development, and Long-Run Growth in Africa, 1400--2000," International Trade 0411007, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
  17. A. Javier Hamann & Alessandro Prati, 2003. "Why Do Many Disinflations Fail? The Importance of Luck, Timing, and Political Institutions," IMF Working Papers 02/228, International Monetary Fund. [Downloadable!]
  18. Nathan Nunn, 2005. "Historical Legacies: A Model Linking Africa's Past to its Current Underdevelopment," Development and Comp Systems 0508008, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  19. Daron Acemoglu & Simon Johnson & James A. Robinson, 2000. "The Colonial Origins of Comparative Development: An Empirical Investigation," NBER Working Papers 7771, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  20. Oded Galor & Omer Moav & Dietrich Vollrath, 2005. "Land Inequality and the Emergence of Human Capital Promoting Institutions," Development and Comp Systems 0502018, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? You too can volunteer for RePEc, for example by editing a NEP report.

This page was last updated on 2009-10-29.

This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.