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Oxford Latin American Economic History Database Moves to Montevideo

The Oxford Latin American Economic History Database (OxLAD), previously hosted at ODID, is now administered at the Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, and has been renamed MoxLAD. It can be accessed at http://moxlad.fcs.edu.uy/.

The database contains statistical series for a wide range of economic and social indicators covering 20 countries in Latin America for the 20th century and beyond. Its purpose is to provide economic and social historians worldwide with a systematic collection of available statistical information in a single on-line source.

The data in MOxLAD were collected with a view to providing comprehensive coverage while ensuring as much consistency and intercountry comparability as possible in the definition, coverage, and valuation of the series. The initial goal was systematic coverage of the 20th century, but the coverage is now being expanded, both backwards to 1870 and forwards to 2010.

The original database derived from a project on the economic history of 20th century Latin America, funded by the Interamerican Development Bank, which resulted in Rosemary Thorp's 1998 book Progress, Poverty and Exclusion: an Economic History of Latin America in the Twentieth Century.

The material appeared as the statistical appendix to the book and was compiled by Pablo Astorga under the direction of Professor Valpy FitzGerald and Rosemary Thorp. The database was corrected, updated and extended during 2002-03 by Ame Berges under the guidance of Valpy FitzGerald. This was made possible by a grant from the Hewlett Foundation.

MOxLAD is a partnership between the Economic and Social History Programme (PHES) of the Universidad de la Republica, ODID and the Latin American Centre at Oxford University.The development of the database will be managed by the coordinator in Montevideo (at present Luis Bertola). He will report to an executive committee with representatives from the three core institutions. An international Advisory Committee is also being assembled.

The present expansion is being funded by the Economic and Social History Programme of the Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo (project “Latin American Development in Comparative Perspective” GUINCHE-group granted by CSIC; Economic and Economic History Data base). It is also supported by grants by Oxford University (the Latin American Centre and the Department of International Development), and by the Banco de la República Oriental del Uruguay.