Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/74286 
Year of Publication: 
2005
Series/Report no.: 
Nota di Lavoro No. 131.2005
Publisher: 
Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM), Milano
Abstract: 
Recent research has emphasized the influence of colonization on the institutional development and economic performance in former European colonies. Where European colonizers settled, they replicated the investment-conducive institutions found at home. It has been argued that a harsh disease environment and a highly urbanized native population worked against colonization. We show evidence for another significant element explaining the endogenous character of colonization strategies and the formation of institutions. We find the presence of precious metals, gold and silver, to imply an increase in settlements, and an improvement in institutional quality, even when correcting for settlements. Highly valued gold and silver reserves attracted Europeans in large numbers and resulted in an institutional upgrade of mineral-rich areas.
Subjects: 
Precious metals
Institutions
Economic development
JEL: 
O13
O17
Q33
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.