Industrial Activities and Transformations

Industry

Industry: The economic sector focused on large-scale production of physical goods for industrial processes or consumption.

Historical Development of Industry

Artisanal Labor (Up to the late 18th century)

Skilled craftspeople transformed raw materials into manufactured goods, limited by human capacity. Craftsmen's districts and guilds emerged in major cities.

First Industrial Revolution (Late 18th - Late 19th century)

Coal-fueled, steam-driven machines enabled large-scale manufacturing, particularly in textiles and metal goods, primarily in Great Britain.

Second Industrial Revolution (Late 19th - Late 20th century)

Mass production and assembly lines revolutionized manufacturing. New energy sources like oil and electricity boosted productivity.

Third Industrial Revolution (Late 20th - 21st century)

Automation and robotics reduced human labor. High-technology, biotechnology, microelectronics, and information technology became dominant.

Types of Industry

Heavy Industry

Large factories consuming vast resources to process raw materials into metallurgical products, chemicals, and construction materials.

Semi-heavy Industry

Factories producing capital goods (machinery, chemicals, components) used by other industries.

Light Industry

Production of everyday items like mobile phones, shoes, and clothes.

Traditional Activities

Production processes characterized by high labor intensity.

High-tech Activities

Driven by research and development (R&D), focusing on manufacturing computers, mobile phones, and medical tools.

Factors Influencing Industrial Location

Availability of Workers and Business Owners

Advanced technology industries: Fewer, more skilled workers. Traditional industries: More, less skilled workers.

Cheap, Reliable Energy

Factories require substantial, affordable electricity without interruptions.

Access to Capital

Financial institutions and investment funds provide crucial funding for industrial activities, prioritizing profitability.

Good Transport Links

• Accessible locations for workers and suppliers.
• Efficient transport infrastructure for shipping products to customers.

Government Support

Entrepreneurs seek locations with supportive policies, including access to credit, reduced bureaucracy, and legal certainty, even if it promotes social inequality.

Technology

Developed countries and regions often lead in new, high-technology industries. As technology matures, production shifts to countries with lower labor costs.

Categories of Industrialized Countries

Industrialized Countries

Developed since the First and Second Industrial Revolutions, accounting for 62% of global wealth, currently focused on high-quality manufacturing.

Newly Industrialized Countries

Developing heavy industry in recent decades, employing a large, low-wage labor force, rising in global industrial rankings.

Industrializing Countries

Lowest industrial capacity, transitioning from agrarian to service economies without prioritizing industrial development. Urban migration fuels demand for consumer goods.