A nova geografia econômica: três ensaios para o Brasil

by Aguilar de, Carla Cristina

This thesis has three contributions: a) in the first paper, we develop a transportation cost index based on the market potential concept. b) In the second paper, we test if first or second nature causes determine agglomerations in our sample, which is composed by micro-regions of the Northeast, Southeast and Centre-West macro-regions in Brazil, in the period 1970-2000. We observe that second order causes directly or indirectly are the main determinants of agglomeration. We also collect evidence that transportation cost are at intermediate levels in these regions.c) In the third paper, we investigate if access to markets determines the (transitional) growth rate of per capita income. It does, but in a differentiated manner accordingly mainly to the macro-region from which the micro-region belongs.