Optimal Spatial Weights Matrix for the World Political Map

The database includes two types of martices: a geometric and a geopolitical - as well as a sample shapefile they can be used with. The geometric matrix accounts for all the land and sea neighbours of states, at least three neighbours for each country. The geopolitical matrix is based on the regional integration systems and accounts for the level of participation of a country in the relevant integration associations. These weight matrices allow to analyze neighbourhood effect with more precision, than automatically produced alternatives.