Green, Elliott D. 
ORCID: 0000-0002-0942-5756
(2012)
On the size and shape of African states.
International Studies Quarterly, 56 (2).
pp. 229-244.
ISSN 0020-8833
Abstract
African state size and shape have been previously shown to be correlated with negative development outcomes, no one has heretofore examined the origins of either phenomenon. Here, I show that African state size and shape are not arbitrary but are rather a consequence of Africa's low pre-colonial population density, whereby low-density areas were consolidated into unusually large colonial states with artificial borders. I also show that state size has a strong negative relationship with pre-colonial trade and that trade and population density alone explain the majority of the variation in African state size. Finally, I do not find a relationship between population density and state size or shape among non-African former colonies, thereby emphasizing the distinctiveness of modern African state formation.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Official URL: | http://eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-... |
| Additional Information: | © 2012 International Studies Association |
| Divisions: | International Development |
| Subjects: | D History General and Old World > DT Africa J Political Science > JA Political science (General) |
| Date Deposited: | 28 Jun 2012 10:00 |
| Last Modified: | 08 Mar 2025 08:03 |
| URI: | http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/44536 |
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