Why an economic core: domestic transport costs
利用跨国数据，分析国内运输成本如何影响经济活动的空间分布，发现地形崎岖的国家交通网络更不发达，经济活动更集中。
What determines the spatial distribution of economic activity? And why is economic activity sometimes lumpy, distributed in a core-periphery pattern in some countries? This paper uses new sub regional data on the spatial distribution of economic activity for a large cross section of countries, as well as information on roads, rails and surface topography to help understand the role of domestic transport costs in shaping economic geography. The evidence suggests a significant role for physical geography and transport costs in determining the location of economic activity. Countries with rougher surfaces have less developed road and rail transport networks, and greater spatial concentration of economic activity.