Fafchamps, MarcelKoelle, MichaelShilpi, Forhad2015-07-172015-07-172015-06https://hdl.handle.net/10986/22227Central place theory predicts that agglomeration can arise from external shocks. This paper investigates whether gold mining is a catalyst for proto-urbanization in rural Ghana. Using cross-sectional data, the analysis finds that locations within 10 kilometers from gold mines have more night light and proportionally higher employment in industry and services and in the wage sector. Non-farm employment decreases at 20–30 kilometers distance to gold mines. These findings are consistent with agglomeration effects that induce non-farm activities to coalesce in one particular location. This paper finds that, over time, an increase in gold production is associated with more wage employment and apprenticeship, and fewer people employed in private informal enterprises. It also finds that the changes arising from increasing gold production are not reversed when large gold mines shrink. However this pattern cannot be ascribed unambiguously to agglomeration effects, given an increase in informal mining after formal mines decrease output is also observed.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOCLOSED MINESGOLD PRICESEMPLOYMENTSOCIAL NORMSPOPULATION CENSUSESLARGE-SCALE MINESEXTRACTIVE RESOURCESECONOMIC GROWTHNEGATIVE HEALTH CONSEQUENCESWORKING-AGE POPULATIONURBANIZATIONUNDERGROUND MINESINFORMAL MINERSSERVICE SECTORAGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIONRESOURCE EXTRACTIONGOLD MININGURBAN SETTLEMENTSMERCURYMINING SECTORLABOR FORCEDEVELOPING COUNTRIESTRENDINFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENTFEMALE EMPLOYMENTPOLICY DISCUSSIONSSCALE MININGHIGHWAY SYSTEMPUBLICATIONSROUTESADULT POPULATIONWEALTHCLOSUREPOPULATION SIZEURBAN CENTERUNDERGROUNDHEALTH FACILITIESCATALYSTTRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTUREKNOWLEDGELABOR MARKETMINERALS INDUSTRYROADRATE OF POPULATION GROWTHROAD NETWORKMINERAL DEPOSITSTRANSPORTPOPULATION GROWTHINTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEMTRANSPORT ACTIVITIESSMALL-SCALE MINING ACTIVITIESGOLDGOLD MINESABANDONED MINESNON-FARM EMPLOYMENTINDUSTRIALIZATIONEXTERNALITIESSANDMINING COMPANIESEMPLOYMENT COMPOSITIONMINING ACTIVITYTRUEPOLLUTIONSCALE MINING ACTIVITIESCONCENTRATION OF POPULATIONLABORNATURAL RESOURCESACTIVE MINESTAILINGSINFRASTRUCTURELAND USECITY POPULATIONMINING LOCATIONSPROGRESSGOLD MINEUNEMPLOYMENTTRANSPORTATIONGEOLOGYPOLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPERCROSS-SECTIONAL DATACHANGES IN POPULATION SIZELARGE CITIESURBAN CENTERSACCESSIBILITYMINESPOPULATION DENSITYURBAN AREASNUTRITIONRAILWAYHIGHWAYSMINERAL INDUSTRYPOLICYWAGE SECTORMINING COMMUNITIESSKILLED LABORROADSGEOLOGICAL SURVEYMINING ACTIVITIESHIGHWAYCLOSURESRAILWAYSECONOMIES OF SCALERESOLUTIONSMALL MINESSPATIAL DISTRIBUTIONCENSUSESACCIDENTSRURAL AREASRAILROADSURBAN CENTRESFEWER PEOPLEPOPULATIONLABOR SUPPLYMARITAL STATUSRURAL COUNTIESMINING AREASMARRIED WOMENPOLICY RESEARCHSMALL-SCALE MININGSMALL-SCALEGOLD DEPOSITSLOCAL DEVELOPMENTINFORMAL MININGWOMENNOISELABOR MARKETSHEALTH CONSEQUENCESRURAL DEVELOPMENTGOLD PRODUCTIONWAGE EMPLOYMENTMINERAL MININGAGGLOMERATION EFFECTSDEVELOPMENT POLICYMINERALSWorking PaperWorld Bank10.1596/1813-9450-7347