The Legacy of Historical Conflict: Evidence from Africa

Timothy Besley and Marta Reynal-Querol

No 8850, CEPR Discussion Papers from C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers

Abstract: There is a great deal of interest in the causes and consequences of conflict in Africa, one of the poorest areas of the world where only modest economic progess has been made. This paper asks whether post-colonial conflict is, at least in part, a legacy of historical conflict by examining the empirical relationship between conflict in Africa since independence with recorded conflicts in the period 1400 to1700. We find evidence of a legacy of historical conflicts using between- country and within-country evidence. The latter is found by dividing the continent into 120kmm-20km grids and measuring the distance from 91 documented historical conflicts.We also provide evidence that historical conflict is correlated with lower levels of trust, a stronger sense of ethnic identity and a weaker sense of national identity.

Keywords: Conflict; Trust; Identity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: N47 O43 O55 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-afr, nep-his and nep-soc
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Related works:
Journal Article: The Legacy of Historical Conflict: Evidence from Africa (2014)
Working Paper: The legacy of historical conflict: evidence from Africa (2014)
Working Paper: The Legacy of Historical Conflict Evidence from Africa (2013)
Working Paper: The Legacy of Historical Conflict Evidence from Africa (2012)
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