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The bounty of the sea and long-run development

Dalgaard, Carl-Johan ; Beck Knudsen, Anne Sofie LU orcid and Selaya, Pablo (2020) In Journal of Economic Growth
Abstract
We document that a high level of natural productivity of the ocean - a rich bounty of the sea - has had a positive and persistent impact on economic development since pre-industrial times until today. In addition, we document that it is the bounty of the sea of the ancestors of current populations which drives the persistent effect, not geography per se. We argue that an explanation is that a rich bounty of the sea facilitated early coastal settlements and an early coastal orientation of pre-industrial economic activity. This gave rise to occupations outside of agriculture and capabilities that were complementary to early industrialization. In the long run this contributed to an early take-off to sustained economic growth.
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Comparative development, coastal orientation, industrialization, O11, O13, O47, O57
in
Journal of Economic Growth
pages
36 pages
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:85089474156
ISSN
1381-4338
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
1ddaee86-841b-4520-9af6-3a5a1739a75f
date added to LUP
2020-11-25 08:42:14
date last changed
2022-04-19 02:19:24
@article{1ddaee86-841b-4520-9af6-3a5a1739a75f,
  abstract     = {{We document that a high level of natural productivity of the ocean - a rich bounty of the sea - has had a positive and persistent impact on economic development since pre-industrial times until today. In addition, we document that it is the bounty of the sea of the ancestors of current populations which drives the persistent effect, not geography per se. We argue that an explanation is that a rich bounty of the sea facilitated early coastal settlements and an early coastal orientation of pre-industrial economic activity. This gave rise to occupations outside of agriculture and capabilities that were complementary to early industrialization. In the long run this contributed to an early take-off to sustained economic growth.}},
  author       = {{Dalgaard, Carl-Johan and Beck Knudsen, Anne Sofie and Selaya, Pablo}},
  issn         = {{1381-4338}},
  keywords     = {{Comparative development; coastal orientation; industrialization; O11; O13; O47; O57}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{08}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Journal of Economic Growth}},
  title        = {{The bounty of the sea and long-run development}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}