Industrial Systems:
You should be able to:
• Classify industries into primary, secondary and tertiary and be able to give illustrations of each. Describe and explain how the proportions employed in each sector changes with respect to the level of development, including Newly Industrialised Countries (NICs).
• Demonstrate an understanding of an industrial system: inputs, processes and outputs (products and waste). Specific illustrations of high technology industries should be studied along with one other processing/manufacturing industry.
• Describe how a variety of factors must be considered when seeking the location for high technology industries and the selected industry.
Industry: Industry is any business activity or commercial enterprise. This can include anything from teaching to fishing and accounting to house building.
Because the definition of industry is so broad, industry is often divided into four smaller categories. The four main types of industry are:
- Primary Sector: The exploitation of raw materials from the land, sea or air e.g. farming and mining.
- Secondary Sector: The manufacturing of primary materials into finished products e.g. car building, food processing or construction.
- Tertiary Sector: The providing of services to individuals and other businesses e.g. teaching and nursing.
- Quaternary Sector: The generation and sharing of hi-tech knowledge e.g. medical research or computer design.
Two other words associated with secondary industry are:
Construction: The occupation or industry of building e.g. house building.
Manufacturing: The making of goods e.g. car building.
The Geographyalltheway.com page on Industrial Activity can be found here.