AP Human Geography Industry Factors

Cost Factors for Industry

• Situation factors are related to the geographic location of a plant in relation to raw materials and markets, aiming to minimize transportation costs.
• Site factors involve the costs associated with land, labor, and capital.

Industry Location Preferences

• Industries, especially bulk-reducing companies, prefer to locate near raw material sources to reduce transportation costs.
• Heavy materials like iron and copper ore undergo significant size reduction during processing, making proximity to the source crucial.

Copper Production Process

• Copper extraction starts with mining ore containing 0.07% copper, which is then sent to concentration mills where it's crushed and concentrated to 25%.
• The concentrated material is smelted to produce usable copper, showcasing a bulk-reducing process.

Steel Industry Insights

• Steel is an alloy of iron created by removing impurities and adding other elements.
• Steel production utilizes coal and iron together to produce steel.
• Innovations such as coke from cooked coal increase production efficiency by burning hotter.

Steel Mill Locations

• New steel mills and minimills are increasingly built near major cities for flexible operations, primarily processing scrap metal.
• This strategic location enables quicker and more cost-effective delivery to customers.

Consumer Proximity in Industry

• Industries might locate near consumers for reasons such as:
  • Bulk gaining: Final products are larger or heavier than input materials.
  • Single market: Serving a specific concentrated market.
  • Perishability: Products that require quick delivery due to short shelf life.

Textile Industry Production

• The textile spinning process, once done at home using hand or foot-powered wheels, evolved significantly during the Industrial Revolution.
• Today, synthetic fabrics are more prevalent than cotton, reflecting changes in production techniques and materials.

Major Textile Countries

• India and China are leading countries in textile spinning, primarily due to low labor costs in less developed countries (LDCs).

Textile Assembly and Innovations

• The weaving process involves threading fabric together, contributing to a wide range of textile products.
• The power loom, invented by Edmund Cartwright in 1785, revolutionized textile manufacturing, increasing productivity.

Aluminum Industry and Location

• The aluminum industry prioritizes site factors because its production consumes significant energy, necessitating hydropower sites.

Key Textile Products

• Major products in the textile industry include garments, carpets, home fabrics, and industrial fabrics, with most assembly taking place in Asia.

Explore the key concepts of site and situation factors in industry with this quiz. Understand how these factors influence the location of industrial plants, including costs related to raw materials, labor, and land. Test your knowledge on why industries make certain location choices.