Sectors of Economic Activity: Tertiary Sector, Trade, Transport and Tourism
The Tertiary Sector: Services Rather Than Products
The tertiary sector groups economic activities that do not dedicate themselves to producing goods, but to providing services (servicios and prestaciones).
These services can be managed preferentially by:
- Public bodies (state management)
- Private bodies (companies whose owners seek to obtain profits)
The services can preferentially be: social, administrative, financial, cultural, personal, information and communication, commercial, transport, or leisure and tourism.
Commerce
Commerce includes all economic activities related to the purchase and sale of products and services.
Domestic Commerce
Domestic commerce takes place within the country. It is divided into:
- Wholesale trade: the company buys merchandise in large quantities and sells it to other businesses.
- Retail trade: the retailer or shopkeeper buys products from wholesalers and sells them to consumers.
Foreign Commerce
Foreign commerce is the exchange of different products and services between countries:
- Importation (buying from abroad)
- Exportation (selling abroad)
The commercial balance can be:
- Positive (income greater than payments)
- Negative (payments greater than income)
- Balanced (income equals payments)
Transport
Transport is the movement of people and goods from one place to another. The main types are:
- Road transport: buses, cars, trucks, and motorcycles circulating on roads, highways, or motorways.
- Rail transport: trains running between stations.
- River transport: boats traveling on rivers and lakes.
- Sea transport: ships sailing across the sea.
- Air transport: airplanes flying from airports.
Tourism
Tourism includes all movements and temporary stays of people outside their usual residence, for a limited time. It implies, at minimum, leaving the home for a night.
Tourism depends on:
- Physical factors (such as climate)
- Human factors (such as installations and services)
Types of Tourism
- Beach tourism
- Active tourism
- Nature tourism (ecotourism and rural tourism)
- Artistic-cultural tourism
- Spa tourism
- Congress tourism
Environmental Consequences
Negative Effects of Transport
- Impact of land occupation
- Intense visual impact
- Atmospheric, soil, water, and acoustic pollution
Negative Effects of Tourism
- Alteration of the landscape
- Overexploitation of natural resources
- Increase in waste
- Alteration of marine currents and beaches
Corrective Measures for Transport
- Studies to assess the environmental repercussions
- Underground passages
- Screens and barriers
- Reducing traffic noise and promoting public transport and bicycles
Corrective Measures for Tourism
- Cleaning of water and beaches
- Development of tolerant tourist-cultural and artistic activities
- Promotion of nature tourism
The Secondary Sector: Industry
The secondary sector is the economic activity that transforms raw materials into products. It includes the construction of buildings and infrastructure. Industry transforms primary materials into products in two ways: some are consumed directly, while others are used as raw materials for other products.
Production Factors
Raw materials come from:
- Animal origin
- Plant origin
- Mineral origin
- Artificial origin
Energy sources are also needed to transform raw materials and move machines.
Energy Sources
Non-renewable energy: coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear energy.
Renewable energy: hydroelectric (waterfalls), solar (sun), wind (aeolian), tidal (sea waves), geothermal (earth heat), and biomass (waste).
Human Resources
Workers are a fundamental element of industry, alongside raw materials, capital, and the machinery required. Companies can be private, state-owned, or mixed.
Business Concentration
- Vertical concentration: two companies that work in different phases of the production of the same product.
- Horizontal concentration: two companies that dedicate themselves to the same activity.
Types of Industry
- Heavy industry (metallurgical or chemical)
- Capital goods industry (construction, agriculture, transport, aerospace, wood and paper, electrical, electronics, and computing)
- Light industry (food, automotive, light chemistry, textiles, and electronics and computing)
Environmental Consequences of Industry
Negative Effects
- Modification of the landscape and environment
- Acoustic pollution
- Waste
- Contamination
- Depletion of natural resources
Corrective Measures
- Ecological awareness
- Sustainable development
- Environmental policies
- Reduction of resource use
- Consumption movements that defend the environment
- Environmentally friendly use of resources
- Energy saving