Work

The Permanent Effects of Transportation Revolutions in Poor Countries: Evidence from Africa

Year: 2016

Type: article

Abstract: We exploit the construction and eventual demise of the colonial railroads in Ghana, and most of the rest of Africa, to study the impact of transportation investments in poor countries. Using new data on railroads and cities spanning over one century, we find that railroads had large effects on the distribution of economic activity during the colonial period and these effects have persisted to date, although railroads collapsed and road networks expanded considerably after independence. Initial transportation investments may thus have large effects in poor countries. As countries develop, increasing returns solidify their spatial distribution, and subsequent investments may have smaller effects.

Source: The Review of Economics and Statistics

DOI: 10.1162/rest_a_00540

Authors: Remi Jedwab, Alexander Moradi

Institutions: George Washington University, University of Sussex, Stellenbosch University, University of Oxford

Language: English

Topic: Regional Economics and Spatial Analysis

Subfield: Economics and Econometrics

Field: Economics, Econometrics and Finance

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, Decent work and economic growth

Open Access status: bronze

OpenAlex ID: W2313065486