This chapter examines how cultural similarities (or differences) represented by common language roots affect economic activities. When individuals share some common linguistic repertoires, they are more inclined to develop commercial relationships and conduct business transactions than in the...

This study departs from extant work on diversity and development in several respects. Using DHS data from a large number of developing countries, we adopt four human development outcomes: child mortality, fertility, education, and wealth. We exploit evidence at multiple levels—country,...