Genetic, Cultural and Geographical Distances

Giuliano, Paola; Spilimbergo, Antonio; Tonon, Giovanni

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Genetic, Cultural and Geographical Distances

CEPR Discussion Paper No. 5807

38 Pages Posted: 11 Oct 2006

See all articles by Paola Giuliano

Paola Giuliano

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) - Anderson School of Management; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Antonio Spilimbergo

International Monetary Fund (IMF) - Research Department; Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); University of Michigan at Ann Arbor - The William Davidson Institute

Giovanni Tonon

Harvard University

There are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: September 2006

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: Genetics, trade, cultural economics, geography, transport costs

JEL Classification: F10, Z10

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Giuliano, Paola and Spilimbergo, Antonio and Tonon, Giovanni, Genetic, Cultural and Geographical Distances (September 2006). CEPR Discussion Paper No. 5807, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=936741