The Economics of the Frontier

Focusing on the economics of frontier establishment, the book examines both conquest and peaceful settlement, detailing the associated costs and optimal territorial expansion. It begins with a review of relevant literature and introduces a fundamental theoretical model for frontier extension. Historical case studies, including the Byzantine Empire's territorial divisions, the Mongol Empire's expansion, and the European exploration of the New World, illustrate the application of this model, alongside discussions on the Black Death and trade dynamics from 1870-1914.