Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Geography

T14 5.1 Workforce

The workforce consists of the active population, including employed adults and those unemployed or seeking their first job. In Spain, this represents the active population, but only about 58% of the total population.

Employed active population accounts for over 58% of the total population.

Three Main Sectors:

1. Primary Sector: Employs a small percentage of the workforce (4.8%) and continues to decline.
2. Secondary Sector: While it created jobs, the workforce has decreased (29.6%). Some administrative roles have moved to other countries.
3. Tertiary Sector: Employs a large portion of the Spanish population and has diversified in recent years.

Unemployment rates in Spain are high due to a greater demand for work than job creation. In 1994,... Continue reading "Understanding Spain's Workforce, Immigration, and Murcia's Population" »

Columbus's Atlantic Crossing Proposal

Genoese sailor Christopher Columbus proposed a westward voyage across the Atlantic to reach the Spice Islands, aiming to bypass the traditional eastern routes around Africa.

Columbus's Voyages to the Americas

First Voyage: Reaching the New World (1492)

The first expedition, consisting of the flagship Santa Maria and two caravels, the Pinta and the La Niña, departed from the port of Palos de la Frontera. After a stopover in the Canary Islands, the ships crossed the Atlantic, sighting land on October 12, 1492. This was the small island of Guanahani in the Bahamas, which Columbus named San Salvador.

Later Expeditions by Columbus

The success of the first voyage led to the swift preparation of subsequent expeditions:... Continue reading "Columbus's Voyages: Dawn of a New World Era" »

Pre-Industrial City Characteristics

• Its shape was compact, characterized by a small core.
• Movement relied on walking or cavalry.
• Streets were narrow and winding, often lined with walls.
• Buildings were typically low in height.
• Streets often specialized in the sale of certain products (commercial specialization).
• The nerve center of the city was usually established around a central square.

The City in the Nineteenth Century

Impact of the First Industrial Revolution

• Introduction of trams and trains; generalization of lifts allowing for higher buildings.
• Demolition of city walls.
• Extension of the city in a sprawling form; the transport network became radial.
• The center concentrated economic activities, excluding industry, which was located in the suburbs.
• Roads

Great Britain in the 18th Century: Foundations of Industrial Change

In the mid-18th century in Britain, various circumstances arose that would transform the global production system:

• Performance-enhancing agriculture: Increased food production supported a growing population.
• Demographic growth: Created greater demand for products.
• Expansion of commerce: Great Britain dominated international trade.
• Technological advances: Began to be applied to manufacturing.
• Cost-effective production: Products were developed for retail merchants at lower costs.
• Concentration of production: Rural workshops tended to concentrate to control output.
• Capital investment: Farmers and traders, seeing profit, invested their capital.
• Bourgeois political influence: The rising

19th Century Economic and Social Changes

The nineteenth century saw significant agricultural changes that could be divided into two groups:

• Liberal Land Reform

  The first was the liberal land reform, which stimulated the improvement of agricultural production and marketing in Spain but led to social conflict because it was unable to create a class of smallholders and a middle class: the working peasantry. The primary measures of this reform were the abolition of the manorial regime, the division of land, and the confiscation of assets, leading to agricultural market liberalization. These changes led to the consolidation of private land ownership and placed assets and property systems in Catalonia into the hands of new owners, favoring production

Economic Development and Post-Industrial Society

European society is a post-industrial society. While industry was once the main economic activity on the continent, currently the service sector generates more jobs and wealth. A post-industrial society has evolved from an industry-based economy to one primarily based on services.

Composition of GDP at Market Prices in 2007

The following data illustrates the economic structure of Spain and Catalonia in 2007:

• Agriculture, Fisheries: Spain 2.6%, Catalonia 1.1%
• Industry and Energy: Spain 16.1%, Catalonia 20.0%
• Construction: Spain 11.0%, Catalonia 9.6%
• Services: Spain 59.9%, Catalonia 59.4%
• Net Imports of Products: Spain 10.4%, Catalonia 9.9%

The Economy of Catalonia: A Key EU Region

Catalonia is considered... Continue reading "Spain's Economic Landscape and Geopolitical Boundaries" »

Transport Infrastructure in Catalonia

TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURES

Functions: Connecting producers and distributors of different centers with consumer markets, i.e., transport of goods. Channeling the flow of people between work centers and services and residential areas. Link between different systems and between urban, rural and less accessible areas.

In Catalonia, the transport network follows a radial pattern centered on Barcelona, with roads and railway lines that follow the coast and the main river valleys.

Roads

Character: radial, centered on Barcelona. Roads provide access points that facilitate distribution but also create difficult accessibility to some points from Barcelona. Therefore, transversal axes have been created to improve connectivity... Continue reading "Catalonia Transport Infrastructure and Logistics Network" »

Rail and Steamer Transportation

At its inception, the railroad was primarily used in mines. The first major innovation was a new system of iron rails and flanged wheels that prevented derailment. The most significant development was Stephenson's locomotive (1829), which utilized a steam engine to power the railroad. The first passenger line connected the cities of Manchester and Liverpool (1830).

Subsequently, steamboats replaced sailing vessels. Steamboat operations began in the United States between 1807 and 1847.

The Expansion of Trade and Market Economy

The Industrial Revolution gave way to a market economy in which sales occurred on an increasingly larger scale. Improved transportation systems allowed for a significant increase in internal... Continue reading "Key Innovations and Economic Shifts of the Industrial Age" »

Franco's Spain: Economy and Social Change

In 1939, Spain was devastated. The Franco regime was modeled after Italy (Mussolini) and Germany (Hitler). These models emphasized state intervention and economic self-sufficiency (autorquía). The state controlled prices of agricultural products, compelling farmers to surrender their crops.

In 1941, the National Institute was established to control foreign commerce and industry.

Economic Failure in the 1940s

Agricultural production declined after the war, and the black market dominated the economy. The international isolation of the Franco regime worsened the situation.

The End of Autorquía (1950s)

Economic policy shifted in the 1950s. Prices were deregulated, and food rationing ended in 1952. Starting... Continue reading "Franco's Spain: Economy and Social Transformation" »

Spanish Fishing Activity: Coastal Fleets and Landings

More than two-thirds of the fish landed comes from coastal fleets. While surface volume is high, species from the seabed (fondo) predominate in economic value.

The Atlantic area is richer and more productive than the Mediterranean. Galicia is the most important region, concentrating more than half of the total captured landings. The volume [in the Mediterranean] is far below the Atlantic, highlighting [the importance of the region around] Tramontana.

The most important ports are:

• Vigo
• Las Palmas
• A Coruña
• Tickets (Port)
• Algeciras
• Huelva
• Cádiz (Atlantic)
• Barbate

Domestic and International Fishing Grounds

Spanish fishing grounds have a reduced continental shelf and have been subjected to intense fishing,... Continue reading "Spain's Fishing Industry: Landings, Trade, and Consumption" »