Secondary Activities PDF

All economic activities namely primary, Unit-III secondary, tertiary and quaternary, revolve Chapter-5 around obtaining and utilising resources necessary for survival....

All economic activities namely primary, Unit-III secondary, tertiary and quaternary, revolve Chapter-5 around obtaining and utilising resources necessary for survival. Secondary activities add value to natural resources by transforming raw materials into valuable products. Cotton in the boll has limited use but after it is transformed into yarn, becomes more valuable and can be used for making clothes. Iron ore, cannot be used; directly from the mines, but after being converted into steel it gets its value and can be used for making many valuable machines, tools, etc. The same is true of most of the materials from the farm, forest, mine and the Secondary Activities sea. Secondary activities, therefore, are concerned with manufacturing, processing and construction (infrastructure) industries. MANUFACTURING MANUFA Manufacturing involves a full array of production from handicrafts to moulding iron and steel and stamping out plastic toys to assembling delicate computer components or space vehicles. In each of these processes, the common characteristics are the application of power, mass production of identical products and specialised labour in factory settings for the production of standardised commodities. Manufacturing may be done with modern power and machinery or it may still be very primitive. Most of the Third World countries still ‘manufacture’ in the literal sense of the term. It is difficult to present a full picture of all the manufacturers in these countries. More emphasis is given to the kind of ‘industrial’ activity which involves less complicated systems of production. Characteristics of Modern Large Scale Manufacturing Modern large scale manufacturing has the following characteristics: Specialisation of Skills/Methods of Production Under the ‘craft’ method factories produce only a few pieces which are made-to-order. So the costs are high. On the other hand, mass 36 Fundamentals of Human Geography Reprint 2024-25 production involves production of large Organisational Structure and Stratification quantities of standardised parts by each worker Modern manufacturing is characterised by: performing only one task repeatedly. (i) a complex machine technology (ii) extreme specialisation and division of labour for producing more goods with less ‘Manufacturing’ Industry and effort, and low costs ‘Manufacturing Industry’ (iii) vast capital (iv) large organisations Manufacturing literally means ‘to make by hand’. However, now it (v) executive bureaucracy. includes goods ‘made by machines’. It is essentially a process which Uneven Geographic Distribution involves transforming raw materials Major concentrations of modern manufacturing into finished goods of higher value have flourished in a few number of places. These for sale in local or distant markets. cover less than 10 per cent of the world’s land Conceptually, an industry is a area. These nations have become the centres of geographically located manufacturing economic and political power. However, in terms unit maintaining books of accounts of the total area covered, manufacturing sites and, records under a management are much less conspicuous and concentrated system. As the term industry is on much smaller areas than that of agriculture comprehensive, it is also used as due to greater intensity of processes. For synonymous with ‘manufacturing’ example, 2.5 sq km of the American corn belt When one uses terms like ‘steel usually includes about four large farms industry’ and ‘chemical industry’ one employing about 10-20 workers supporting thinks of factories and processes. 50-100 persons. But this same area could But there are many secondary contain several large integrated factories and activities which are not carried on in employ thousands of workers. factories such as what is now called the ‘entertainment industry’ and Tourism industry, etc. So for clarity Why do Large-scale Industries choose the longer expression ‘manufacturing different locations? industry’ is used. Industries maximise profits by reducing costs. Therefore, industries should be located at points where the production costs are Mechanisation minimum. Some of the factors influencing Mechanisation refers to using gadgets which industrial locations are as under: accomplish tasks. Automation (without aid of human thinking during the manufacturing Access to Market process) is the advanced stage of mechanisation. The existence of a market for manufactured Automatic factories with feedback and closed- goods is the most important factor in the location loop computer control systems where machines of industries. ‘Market’ means people who have a are developed to ‘think’, have sprung up all over demand for these goods and also have the the world. purchasing power (ability to purchase) to be able to purchase from the sellers at a place. Remote Technological Innovation areas inhabited by a few people offer small Technological innovations through research markets. The developed regions of Europe, North and development strategy are an important America, Japan and Australia provide large aspect of modern manufacturing for quality global markets as the purchasing power of the control, eliminating waste and inefficiency, and people is very high. The densely populated combating pollution. regions of South and South-east Asia also Secondary Activities 37 Reprint 2024-25 provide large markets. Some industries, such Communication is also an important need as aircraft manufacturing, have a global market. for industries for the exchange and The arms industry also has global markets. management of information. Access to Raw Material Government Policy Raw material used by industries should be Governments adopt ‘regional policies’ to cheap and easy to transport. Industries based promote ‘balanced’ economic development and on cheap, bulky and weight-losing material hence set up industries in particular areas. (ores) are located close to the sources of raw material such as steel, sugar, and cement Access to Agglomeration Economies/ industries. Perishability is a vital factor for the Links between Industries industry to be located closer to the source of Many industries benefit from nearness to a the raw material. Agro-processing and dairy leader-industry and other industries. These products are processed close to the sources of benefits are termed as agglomeration farm produce or milk supply respectively. economies. Savings are derived from the linkages which exist between different Access to Labour Supply industries. Labour supply is an important factor in the These factors operate together to determine location of industries. Some types of industrial location. manufacturing still require skilled labour. Increasing mechanisation, automation and flexibility of industrial processes have reduced Foot Loose Industries the dependence of industry upon the labours. Foot loose industries can be located Access to Sources of Energy in a wide variety of places. They are not dependent on any specific raw Industries which use more power are located material, weight losing or otherwise. close to the source of the energy supply such They largely depend on component as the aluminium industry. parts which can be obtained Earlier coal was the main source of energy, anywhere. They produce in small today hydroelectricity and petroleum are also quantity and also employ a small important sources of energy for many labour force. These are generally not industries. polluting industries. The important factor in their location is accessibility Access to Transportation and by road network. Communication Facilities Speedy and efficient transport facilities to carry raw materials to the factory and to move finished Classification of Manufacturing Industries goods to the market are essential for the Manufacturing industries are classified on the development of industries. The cost of transport basis of their size, inputs/raw materials, plays an important role in the location of output/products and ownership (Fig. 5.1). industrial units. Western Europe and eastern North America have a highly developed transport Industries based on Size system which has always induced the concentration of industries in these areas. Modern The amount of capital invested, number of industry is inseparably tied to transportation workers employed and volume of production systems. Improvements in transportation led to determine the size of industry. Accordingly, integrated economic development and regional industries may be classified into household or specialisation of manufacturing. cottage, small-scale and large-scale. 38 Fundamentals of Human Geography Reprint 2024-25 Reprint 2024-25 Secondary Activities Fig. 5.1 : Classification of Industries 39 HOUSEHOLD INDUSTRIES OR Some common everyday products COTT CO AGE MANUF TTA TT ACTURING MANUFA produced in this sector of manufacturing include foodstuffs, fabrics, mats, containers, It is the smallest manufacturing unit. The tools, furniture, shoes, and figurines from wood artisans use local raw materials and simple lot and forest, shoes, thongs and other articles from tools to produce everyday goods in their homes leather; pottery and bricks from clays and stones. with the help of their family members or part- Goldsmiths make jewellery of gold, silver and time labour. Finished products may be for bronze. Some artefacts and crafts are made out of consumption in the same household or, for sale bamboo, wood obtained locally from the forests. in local (village) markets, or, for barter. Capital and transportation do not wield much influence Small Scale Manufacturing as this type of manufacturing has low commercial significance and most of the tools Small scale manufacturing is distinguished are devised locally. from household industries by its production techniques and place of manufacture (a workshop outside the home/cottage of the producer). This type of manufacturing uses local raw material, simple power -driven machines and semi-skilled labour. It provides employment and raises local purchasing power. Therefore, countries like India, China, Indonesia and Brazil, etc. have developed labour-intensive small scale manufacturing in order to provide employment to their population. Fig. 5.2 (a) : A man making pots in his courtyard- example of household industry in Nagaland Fig. 5.3: Products of cottage industry on sale in Assam Large Scale Manufacturing Large scale manufacturing involves a large market, various raw materials, enormous energy, specialised workers, advanced technology, assembly-line mass production and large capital. This kind of manufacturing developed in the last 200 years, in the United Kingdom, north-eastern U.S.A. and Europe. Now Fig. 5.2 (b) : A man weaving a bamboo basket by the roadside in Arunachal Pradesh it has diffused to almost all over the world. 40 Fundamentals of Human Geography Reprint 2024-25  On the basis of the system of large scale manufacturing, the world’s major industrial regions may be grouped under two broad types, namely (i) traditional large-scale industrial regions which are thickly clustered in a few more developed countries. (ii) high-technology large scale industrial regions which have diffused to less developed countries. Fig. 5.5: Tea Garden and a Tea Factory in the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu Agri-business is commercial farming on an industrial scale often financed by business whose main interests lie outside agriculture, for example, large corporations in tea plantation business. Agri-business farms are mechanised, large in size, highly Fig. 5.4 : Passenger car assembly hires at a plant of structured, reliant on chemicals, and the Motor Company in Japan may be described as ‘agro-factories’. Industries based on Inputs/Raw Materials On the basis of the raw materials used, the (b) Mineral based Industries industries are classified as: (a) agro-based; (b) mineral based; (c) chemical based; (d) forest These industries use minerals as a raw material. based: and (e) animal based. Some industries use ferrous metallic minerals which contain ferrous (iron), such as iron and (a) Agro based Industries steel industries but some use non-ferrous Agro processing involves the processing of raw metallic minerals, such as aluminium, copper materials from the field and the farm into finished and jewellery industries. Many industries use products for rural and urban markets. Major non-metallic minerals such as cement and agro-processing industries are food processing, pottery industries. sugar, pickles, fruits juices, beverages (tea, coffee and cocoa), spices and oils fats and textiles (c) Chemical based Industries (cotton, jute, silk), rubber, etc. Such industries use natural chemical minerals, Food Processing e.g. mineral-oil (petroleum) is used in petro- chemical industry. Salts, sulphur and potash Agro processing includes canning, producing industries also use natural minerals. Chemical cream, fruit processing and confectionery. While some preserving techniques, such as drying, industries are also based on raw materials fermenting and pickling, have been known since obtained from wood and coal. Synthetic fibre, ancient times, these had limited applications to plastic, etc. are other examples of chemical based cater to the pre-Industrial Revolution demands. industries. Secondary Activities 41 Reprint 2024-25 (d) Forest based Raw Material using INDUSTRIES BASED ON OWNERSHIP BASED Industries (a) Public Sector Industries are owned and The forests provide many major and minor managed by governments. In India, there products which are used as raw material. were a number of Public Sector Timber for furniture industry, wood, bamboo Undertakings (PSUs). Socialist countries and grass for paper industry, lac for lac have many state owned industries. Mixed industries come from forests. economies have both Public and Private sector enterprises. (b) Private Sector Industries are owned by individual investors. These are managed by private organisations. In capitalist countries, industries are generally owned privately. (c) Joint Sector Industries are managed by joint stock companies or sometimes the private and public sectors together establish and manage the industries. Can you make a list of such industries? Concept of High Technology Industry Fig. 5.6: A pulp mill in the heart of the Ketchikan’s High technology, or simply high-tech, is the timber area of Alaska latest generation of manufacturing activities. It is best understood as the application of (e) Animal based Industries intensive research and development (R and D) efforts leading to the manufacture of products Leather for leather industry and wool for of an advanced scientific and engineering woollen textiles are obtained from animals. character. Professional (white collar) workers Besides, ivory is also obtained from make up a large share of the total workforce. elephant’s tusks. These highly skilled specialists greatly outnumber the actual production (blue collar) Industries Based On Output/Product workers. Robotics on the assembly line, You have seen some machines and tools made computer -aided design (CAD) and of iron or steel. The raw material for such manufacturing, electronic controls of machines and tools is iron and steel. Which is smelting and refining processes, and the itself an industry. The industry whose products constant development of new chemical and are used to make other goods by using them pharmaceutical products are notable examples of a high-tech industry. as raw materials are basic industries. Can you Neatly spaced, low, modern, dispersed, identify the links? Iron/steel machines office-plant-lab buildings rather than massive for textile industry clothes for use by assembly structures, factories and storage consumers. areas mark the high-tech industrial landscape. The consumer goods industries produced Planned business parks for high-tech start-ups goods which are consumed by consumers have become part of regional and local directly. For example, industries producing development schemes. breads and biscuits, tea, soaps and toiletries, High-tech industries which are paper for writing, televisions, etc. are consumer regionally concentrated, self-sustained and goods or non-basic industries. highly specialised are called technopolies. 42 Fundamentals of Human Geography Reprint 2024-25 The Silicon Valley near San Francisco and Manufacturing contributes significantly to Silicon Forest near Seattle are examples of the world economy. Iron and steel, textiles, technopolies. Are some technopolies automobiles, petrochemicals and electronics developing in India? are some of the world’s most important manufacturing industries. EXERCISES 1. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below. (i) Which one of the following statements is wrong? (a) Cheap water transport has facilitated the jute mill industry along the Hugli. (b) Sugar, cotton textiles and vegetable oils are footloose industries. (c) The development of hydro-electricity and petroleum reduced, to a great extent, the importance of coal energy as a locational factor for industry. (d) Port towns in India have attracted industries. (ii) In which one of the following types of economy are the factors of production owned individually ? (a) Capitalist (c) Socialist (b) Mixed (d) None (iii) Which one of the following types of industries produces raw materials for other industries? (a) Cottage Industries (c) Basic Industries (b) Small-scale Industries (d) Footloose Industries (iv) Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched ? (a) Automobile industry … Los Angeles (b) Shipbuilding industry … Lusaka (c) Aircraft industry … Florence 2. Write a short note on the following in about 30 words. (i) High-Tech industry (ii) Manufacturing (iii) Footloose industries Secondary Activities 43 Reprint 2024-25  3. Answer the following in not more than 150 words. (i) Differentiate between primary and secondary activities. (ii) Discuss the major trends of modern industrial activities especially in the developed countries of the world. (iii) Explain why high-tech industries in many countries are being attracted to the peripheral areas of major metropolitan centres. (iv) Africa has immense natural resources and yet it is industrially the most backward continent. Comment. Project/Activity (i) Carry out a survey in your school premises of the factory-made goods used by students and the staff. (ii) Find out the meaning of the terms bio-degradable and non- biodegradable. Which kind of material is better to use? Why? (iii) Look around and make a list of the global brands, their logos and products. 44 Fundamentals of Human Geography Reprint 2024-25