In this chapter, we explore how natural resources can be exploitable resources thanks to knowledge improvements. This issue is tackled by looking at the evolution of engineering faculties and graduate engineers from 1850 to 1939 in Andean and Nordic countries, two regions where natural resources...

This paper combines cross-national statistical analysis and in-depth historical case studies of Argentina and Chile to explore the relationship between two crucial dimensions of state capacity. We show that information capacity contributes to the development of fiscal capacity. States require...

Based on almost 5.000 direct observations on National Identification Cards, this paper offers the first estimation of the evolution of average heights in urban Bolivia for the decades 1880s-1920s. The analysis focuses on men aged 19-50 years registered in the city of La Paz. Despite city's...

This chapter traces the main sustainability trends of the five countries analyzed in this book. The starting point is to understand sustainability as main measure of development, diminishing the role of GDP or Income. In order to address these concerns, the chapter utilizes mainstream indicators...