A survey of the causes of civil conflicts: natural factors and economic conditions

International audienceWe provide an overview of the roots of civil conflict. We distinguish between economic conditions and natural factors as two broad categories of roots identified in the empirical literature. As a preamble, we present an overview of the theoretical literature on the roots of civil war and distinguish between “capacity-related” and “opportunity-related” causes of conflict. We also provide policy implications regarding the prevention of civil conflicts