The only two exceptions on the map were Peru and Turkey. These countries only produced a single garment each. Peru perhaps could be viewed as an extension of the Latin American cluster save for its position on the other side of the equator. Turkey is a true outlier, with no other representation either from Europe or from the Middle East, despite centuries of advanced clothing production in both areas.

There are two main factors that influence these patterns. The first is the availability of cheap labor. Garment production is a labor intensive process, such that labor is the major cost driver of clothing. This has in turn convinced companies to offshore their production. The clusters tend to be in areas where wages are low -- Central America, China, India, and Southeast Asia. Canada is an anomaly here, as the only other First World economies noted were the United States and...
[ View Full Essay]