ABSTRACT
Most mercantilists and classical economists with an interest in the causes of the wealth of their nations and in strategies for their development sought explanations in political, social, institutional, environmental and moral factors rather than in purely economic terms. Mercantilists, for instance, indicated that self-sufficiency should be favoured for political reasons. The quest for wealth could not be conceived of outside its national context. In explaining development, the early economists took account of environmental factors as well as the location of activities and populations, while taking care to distinguish between renewable (agricultural) and non-renewable (mining) natural resources.
