Industrial Sectors and Global Economic Development

Commodities and Raw Materials

The secondary sector includes human activities that transform raw materials into finished products. Raw materials are natural resources that can be transformed; organic industry processes living things from agriculture, while minerals derived from the Earth's crust can be classified as mineral or energy resources. Mineral production is concentrated in Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East, while consumption is highest in developed countries. Although raw material prices are low, the resulting manufactured goods are often very expensive.

Energy Sources

Energy sources are natural resources that provide the industry with the power needed to convert raw materials into finished products. According to their duration, they can be non-renewable or renewable, and their use can be traditional or alternative.

Petroleum

Oil is a mineral oil consisting of a mixture of hydrocarbons formed by the decomposition of plant and animal organisms. After refining, it is used as fuel. Its benefits include ease of extraction and transport, while its disadvantages are that it is a non-renewable resource and highly polluting. Major producing countries include Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia, the USA, and Mexico.

Types of Industry

Base Industries

These industries create preforms used by other sectors, such as metallurgy (iron and steel) or petrochemicals (producing chlorine and sulfuric acid).

Equipment Industries

These industries produce goods necessary for the operation of other sectors, including transportation materials, construction machinery, and industrial equipment.

Consumer Goods Industries

These industries manufacture products for direct consumption, including food, chemicals, and textiles. These are considered light industries because the resources are less bulky, require less investment, and are more scattered throughout the territory.

Landscapes of the First Industrial Revolution

Taking place between 1770 and 1870, the Industrial Revolution emerged in Britain and spread throughout Europe. It was based on the introduction of the steam engine, which used coal as an energy source. Production became abundant, cheap, and fast. The main sectors were steel, metallurgy, and textiles. The steam engine led to the appearance of the railroad. Industrial location depended on factors such as transport costs: steel plants were installed near coalfields, while textile industries were located in cities to be closer to the market.

Distribution of Industry

The main industrial concentrations are found in developed areas such as the USA, Japan, and Europe:

• USA: The world's industrial power due to the availability of raw materials.
• European Union: High industrialization due to a long industrial tradition.
• Japan: Industrialized despite a lack of raw materials, relying on abundant, cheap, and skilled labor.

Less-industrialized areas are located in underdeveloped countries due to a lack of resources, capital, market shortages, and poor communications, where handicraft industry often predominates.