The spatial features of recent crises in a developing country: analysing regional economic resilience for the Brazilian case

During the last decade, the Brazilian economy was affected by two important recessive shocks. However, the spatiality of these shocks is still neglected by scholars and policy-makers. This study analyses these recessions' spatial structure by applying elements of the regional resilience literature using spatial seemingly unrelated regressions (SUR) models. The results show significant heterogeneity in the territorial extension of crises led by the characteristics of the productive structure in regional resistance and more significant impacts of nationwide downturns on less diversified regions. This result raises concerns for local economies dependent on specialized production, which is typical of developing countries, mainly for the extractive areas.