Industry and the Secondary Sector: Production, Energy, Types
Item 7: The Industry
The Secondary Sector
The secondary sector consists of two activities: industry and construction. Industry is the main component of the secondary sector. It covers activities related to the transformation of raw materials into manufactured products.
The history of industry is to be found in craft production. Industry emerged in the late eighteenth century and developed throughout the nineteenth century (Industrial Revolution).
Industrial Process Characteristics
- It uses machines driven by an energy source.
- Workers perform their work in factories.
- It requires the division of labor: each worker specializes in a production phase.
Industrial Production: Factors
In any industrial process the following factors are involved:
a) Raw Materials
Raw materials are the resources that are transformed by an industrial process or that are semi-processed products. According to their origin they can be:
- Animal origin: leather, wool, milk ...
- Vegetable origin: rubber, cotton, linen, wood ...
- Mineral origin:
- Metallic: iron, copper, lead, zinc ...
- Non-metallic: phosphate, clay, kaolin ...
- Energy minerals: oil, coal, uranium ...
- Synthetic and intermediate products: rayon, nylon, plastics, PVC ...
b) Energy Sources
Energy sources are natural resources that provide the force necessary to transform raw materials, move machinery, and facilitate the movement of people and goods.
Since the Industrial Revolution, the exploitation of energy sources began with fossil fuels like coal and oil. Later, natural gas and nuclear energy appeared. Because of the possible depletion of coal and oil, new energy sources are now used: solar, wind, geothermal, tidal and biomass. Energy consumption is a measure of development.
3. Types of Industry
a) Base Industry
A base industry performs the primary processing of raw material. It makes semi-finished products for other companies.
Main base industries:
- Metalworking — metal products (steel industry, steel production)
- Chemical industry — basic chemicals
- Petrochemical industry — petroleum derivatives
b) Capital Goods Industry
The capital goods industry processes products coming from base industries and is based on large machinery and heavy transport. The most important sectors are:
- Aeronautics — large aircraft and ships
- Construction equipment — cranes
- Automotive — robots and machines for car production
- Heavy farm machinery — harvesters
c) Consumer Goods Industry
The consumer goods industry manufactures products that go directly to the consumer. The most important categories are:
- Food
- Furniture
- Appliances
- Computers and electronics
- Textiles