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Fractionalization and Fighting over Natural Resources: Ethnicity, Language, Religion, and the Onset of Civil War

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  • Christa N Brunnschweiler
  • Erwin H Bulte

Abstract

We use three different measures of fractionalization (with varying potential for members of one fraction to “mendaciously†pass for a member of another) to revisit the correlation between natural resources and the onset of conflict. The combination of ethnic fractionalization and resource wealth seems to translate into a greater risk of war, but the same is not true for linguistic and religious fractionalization. This is consistent with the “greed hypothesis†as a driver of conflict. However, we also find that the direct effect of resource wealth tends to attenuate the risk of war, and the net effect of resources on conflict is ambiguous.

Suggested Citation

  • Christa N Brunnschweiler & Erwin H Bulte, 2009. "Fractionalization and Fighting over Natural Resources: Ethnicity, Language, Religion, and the Onset of Civil War," OxCarre Working Papers 017, Oxford Centre for the Analysis of Resource Rich Economies, University of Oxford.
    • Handle: RePEc:oxf:oxcrwp:017
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Habyarimana, James & Humphreys, Macartan & Posner, Daniel N. & Weinstein, Jeremy M., 2007. "Why Does Ethnic Diversity Undermine Public Goods Provision?," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 101(4), pages 709-725, November.
    2. Hodler, Roland, 2006. "The curse of natural resources in fractionalized countries," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 50(6), pages 1367-1386, August.
    3. Habyarimana, James P. & Humphreys, Macartan & Posner, Daniel N. & Weinstein, Jeremy, 2006. "Why Does Ethnic Diversity Undermine Public Goods Provision? An Experimental Approach," IZA Discussion Papers 2272, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
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    Cited by:

    1. John C. Anyanwu, 2014. "Oil Wealth, Ethno‐Religious‐Linguistic Fractionalization and Civil Wars in Africa: Cross‐Country Evidence," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 26(2), pages 209-236, June.
    2. Ibrahim Ahmed Elbadawi & Raimundo Soto, 2015. "Resource rents, institutions, and violent civil conflicts," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(1), pages 89-113, February.
    3. Tim C. Wegenast & Matthias Basedau, 2014. "Ethnic fractionalization, natural resources and armed conflict," Conflict Management and Peace Science, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 31(4), pages 432-457, September.
    4. Fum, Ruikang Marcus & Hodler, Roland, 2010. "Natural resources and income inequality: The role of ethnic divisions," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 107(3), pages 360-363, June.

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