Genetic, Cultural and Geographical Distances

Paola Giuliano, Antonio Spilimbergo and Giovanni Tonon ()
Additional contact information
Giovanni Tonon: Harvard University

No 2229, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: This paper investigates how the measures of genetic distance between populations, which have been used in anthropology and historical linguistics, can be used in economics. What does the correlation between genetic distance and economic variables mean? Using the measure of genetic distance, a newly-collected database on transport costs, as well as more refined measures of geography within Europe, we show that i) geography explains both genetic distance and transportation costs between European countries, and ii) genetic distance does not explain economic outcomes once we control for geography. We conclude that genetic distance in economics capture transportation costs between countries and not cultural differences.

Keywords: transport costs; genetics; trade; geography (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F10 Z10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 37 pages
Date: 2006-07
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-evo and nep-int
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (64)

Published - published as 'Genetic Distance, Transportation Costs, and Trade' in: Journal of Economic Geography, 2014, 14 (1), 179-198

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Related works:
Working Paper: Genetic, Cultural and Geographical Distances (2006)
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