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# Rice Countries

## Definition

Regions where rice is the primary agricultural product and staple food, such as parts of Asia and the American South. Rice cultivation typically requires specific environmental conditions and intensive labor, leading to different economic dynamics than wheat-producing regions.

## Source Chapter

Book I, Chapter 11

## Context

Smith uses rice countries to illustrate how the nature of the primary agricultural product affects the distribution of economic returns, particularly how rice cultivation can support higher rents due to its high productivity per acre.

## Economic Domain

Production

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