Notes on CEPII’s distances measures: the GeoDist database

Mayer, Thierry and Zignago, Soledad (2011): Notes on CEPII’s distances measures: the GeoDist database. Published in: CEPII Working Paper No. 2011-25

Abstract

GeoDist makes available the exhaustive set of gravity variables used in Mayer and Zignago (2005). GeoDist provides several geographical variables, in particular bilateral distances measured using city-level data to assess the geographic distribution of population inside each nation. We have calculated different measures of bilateral distances available for most countries across the world (225 countries in the current version of the database). For most of them, different calculations of “intra-national distances” are also available. The GeoDist webpage provides two distinct files: a country-specific one (geo_cepii) and a dyadic one (dist_cepii) including a set of different distance and common dummy variables used in gravity equations to identify particular links between countries such as colonial past, common languages, contiguity. We try to improve upon the existing similar datasets in terms of geographical coverage, quality of measurement and number of variables provided.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Distances, International Trade, Databases, Gravity, Trade Costs, Border Effects
• Subjects: F - International Economics > F1 - Trade > F15 - Economic Integration; F - International Economics > F1 - Trade > F10 - General

References

K. HEAD AND T. MAYER (2002), "Illusory Border Effects: Distance Mismeasurement Inflates Estimates of Home Bias in Trade", CEPII Working Paper 2002-01.

MAYER, T. AND S. ZIGNAGO (2005), "Market Access in Global and Regional Trade", CEPII Working Paper 2005-02.

MAYER, T. AND S. ZIGNAGO (2006), "Notes on CEPII’s distances measures", MPRA Paper 31243.

MÉLITZ, J. (2002), "Language and Foreign Trade", CEPR Discussion Paper 3590.