Scandinavian Working Papers in Economics

African Economic History Working Paper,
African Economic History Network

No 4/2012: Borders that Divide: Education and Religion in Ghana and Togo since Colonial Times

Denis Cogneau () and Alexander Moradi ()
Additional contact information
Denis Cogneau: Paris School of Economics, Postal: 48 Boulevard Jourdan 75014 Paris, Building B, Paris
Alexander Moradi: Economics department, University of Sussex, Postal: Sussex House, Brighton, BN1 9RH, United Kingdom

Abstract: The partition of German Togoland after WWI provides a natural experiment allowing to test what impact colonial policies really had. Using a data set of recruits to the Ghana colonial army 1908-1955, we find literacy and religious beliefs to diverge at the border between British and French mandated part of Togoland as early as in the 1920s. We attribute this to the different policies towards missionary schools. The divergence is only visible in the South where educational and evangelization efforts were strong enough. Using contemporary survey data we find that border effects originated at colonial times still persist today.

Keywords: Africa; German Togoland; colonial policies; missionary schools

JEL-codes: N37; N97

56 pages, June 17, 2013

Price: 2012-11-01

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