Secondary Economic Activities Flashcards
What is an input
Things we need to put in at the start
Processes
The things we do to the inputs to make them finished or semi finished products
Outputs
The things we have at the end
What is secondary economic activities
Making things:
It usually involves raw material and making them into a finished or semi-finished product . Usually takes place in a factory or workshop
It may be seen as a system
Location factors
Capital Resource material Transport facilities Services Labour Preferred place of the owner Government and EU policy
Resource materials
These are the raw materials or semi finished products that the factory need s to make things
If the resource materials are big and heavy the factory will be built close to the resource materials
If not it would be too difficult and too expensive to move the resource materials to the factory
Markets
Access to markets means being close to the places where you are going to sell the products and where the customers will buy them. The close you are the less transport cost you’ll have to pay to distribute your goods. Therefore you can do it faster and cheaper.
Transport facilities
All factories need to transport the finished products to the customers. If the finished products are to be sold in the same country they’ll need a good road or rail transport and if the products are to be sold in a different country they’ll need to be close to an airport or port
Labour
Labour means the work force. All customers need workers and the factory must be built where there Is enough workers
Some factories require low skilled workers and others require highly skilled university graduates such as Intel
Services
Services means having things lie electricity, water, sewage treatment, telephone and broadband internet access. Most companies need good quality services such so they set up only where these things are avalible
Capital
Capital means the money the company needs to set up their factory. They may need to get investment from banks to help with these costs
Government/EU policy
Governments do many things to encourage companies to set up in their country
The Irish government gives grants to companies who set up here . We also have a low corporate pay rate. They may also build factories for the companies and pay money towards training workers
Preferences of business person/local communities
Some people mayst up a factory in an area where they like or where they come from.
Local people are often happy when companies set up in their area because it provides jobs
However other people may not want factories because it increases the traffic and the number of trucks on the road it may also caus noise visual and air pollution
Different types of industry’s
Heavy, light and multinational corporates
Heavy industry
In these types of industries the resources materials and products being made are big and heavy. Iron and steel making is an example
Light industry
In these types of industry’s the products being made are small and light. Electronic products and health care products are examples of this
Multinational corporate (mnc’s)
These types of companies make there product in many different countries. Examples include coca cola Microsoft and Nike
What is a footloose industry
Many years ago factories needed to be near a coal source for energy therefore had to stay in the one place but nowadays factories are not tied to one area so are footloose
Where do footloose industries usually locate
In industrial estates and parks close to large cities eg.city west
Why might a manufacturing company be footloose
Industrial estates:widely dispersed
Electricity main source of energy no longer have to use coal
Excellent transport facilities
Light industry products are high in value but low in weight so cheap to transport
Ring road around cities so people see them when taking short cuts into cities
U
Why might an industry change its location.
It needs new services or have changed their production methods
For example most industries needed to be near a coal mine as coal was the main source of electricity but nowadays we have many sources of electricity so can move our industries easily
What is industrial inertia
A factory remains although the reason for its location no longer exist
Explain the British iron and steel industry over the years (start)
Started in 1700s
They had large amounts of coal and iron ore which are used to make iron and steel
They built steel mills beside the coal mines as coal was heavy and time consuming to transport
Britain became the leading country in this industry
The used all the iron and steel for railways tracks trains machines and weapons
This helped them to become the most powerful country in the world
What were the three phases of the British iron and still industry
Phase 1
18th century
The growth
Phase 2
19th and early 20th centuries
Plateu (peak)
Phase 3
1960 onwards
Decline