In the paper, an analytical framework with both increasing returns and transaction costs is developed to investigate the general equilibrium with endogenous specialization and division of labor. In this framework, each individual’s optimum decision in choosing her pattern of specialization is...

Geographic information systems (GIS) data was used on a global scale to examine the relationship between climate (ecozones), water navigability, and economic development in terms of GDP per capita. GDP per capita and the spatial density of economic activity measured as GDP per km2 are high in...

The correlation between health and economic performance is extremely robust across communities and over time. Many factors exogenous to income play an important role in determining health status, including a number of geographical, environmental, and evolutionary factors. This suggests the...