Unit-III

Chapter-6

Secondary Activities

All economic activities namely primary,

secondary, tertiary and quaternary, revolve
around obtaining and utilising resources
necessary for survival.
Secondary activities add value to natural
resources by transforming raw materials into
valuable products. Cotton in the boll has limited
use but after it is transformed into yarn,
becomes more valuable and can be used for
making clothes. Iron ore, cannot be used;
directly from the mines, but after being
converted into steel it gets its value and can be
used for making many valuable machines,
tools, etc. The same is true of most of the
materials from the farm, forest, mine and the
sea. Secondary activities, therefore, are
concerned with manufacturing, processing and
construction (infrastructure) industries.

MANUFACTURING
Manufacturing involves a full array of
production from handicrafts to moulding iron
and steel and stamping out plastic toys to
assembling delicate computer components or
space vehicles. In each of these processes, the
common characteristics are the application of
power, mass production of identical products
and specialised labour in factory settings for
the production of standardised commodities.
Manufacturing may be done with modern
power and machinery or it may still be very
primitive. Most of the Third World countries still
manufacture in the literal sense of the term. It
is difficult to present a full picture of all the
manufacturers in these countries. More
emphasis is given to the kind of industrial
activity which involves less complicated systems
of production.
Characteristics
Manufacturing

of

Modern Large Scale

Modern large scale manufacturing has the

following characteristics:
Specialisation of Skills/Methods of
Production
Under the craft method factories produce only
a few pieces which are made-to-order. So the
costs are high. On the other hand, mass

production involves production of large

quantities of standardised parts by each worker
performing only one task repeatedly.

Manufacturing Industry and

Manufacturing Industry
Manufacturing literally means to
make by hand. However, now it
includes goods made by machines.
It is essentially a process which
involves transforming raw materials
into finished goods of higher value
for sale in local or distant markets.
Conceptually, an industry is a
geographically located manufacturing
unit maintaining books of accounts
and, records under a management
system. As the term industry is
comprehensive, it is also used as
synonymous with manufacturing
When one uses terms like steel
industry and chemical industry one
thinks of factories and processes.
But there are many secondary
activities which are not carried on in
factories such as what is now called
the entertainment industry and
Tourism industry, etc. So for clarity
the longer expression manufacturing
industry is used.

Mechanisation
Mechanisation refers to using gadgets which
accomplish tasks. Automation (without aid of
human thinking during the manufacturing
process) is the advanced stage of mechanisation.
Automatic factories with feedback and closedloop computer control systems where machines
are developed to think, have sprung up all over
the world.
Technological Innovation
Technological innovations through research
and development strategy are an important
aspect of modern manufacturing for quality
control, eliminating waste and inefficiency, and
combating pollution.
46

Fundamentals of Human Geography

Organisational Structure and Stratification

Modern manufacturing is characterised by:
(i) a complex machine technology
(ii) extreme specialisation and division of
labour for producing more goods with less
effort, and low costs
(iii) vast capital
(iv) large organisations
(v) executive bureaucracy.
Uneven Geographic Distribution
Major concentrations of modern manufacturing
have flourished in a few number of places. These
cover less than 10 per cent of the worlds land
area. These nations have become the centres of
economic and political power. However, in terms
of the total area covered, manufacturing sites
are much less conspicuous and concentrated
on much smaller areas than that of agriculture
due to greater intensity of processes. For
example, 2.5 sq km of the American corn belt
usually includes about four large farms
employing about 10-20 workers supporting
50-100 persons. But this same area could
contain several large integrated factories and
employ thousands of workers.
Why do Large-scale Industries choose
different locations?

Industries maximise profits by reducing

costs. Therefore, industries should be located
at points where the production costs are
minimum. Some of the factors influencing
industrial locations are as under:
Access to Market
The existence of a market for manufactured
goods is the most important factor in the location
of industries. Market means people who have a
demand for these goods and also have the
purchasing power (ability to purchase) to be able
to purchase from the sellers at a place. Remote
areas inhabited by a few people offer small
markets. The developed regions of Europe, North
America, Japan and Australia provide large
global markets as the purchasing power of the
people is very high. The densely populated
regions of South and South-east Asia also

provide large markets. Some industries, such

as aircraft manufacturing, have a global market.
The arms industry also has global markets.

Communication is also an important need

for industries for the exchange and
management of information.

Access to Raw Material

Government Policy

Raw material used by industries should be

cheap and easy to transport. Industries based
on cheap, bulky and weight-losing material
(ores) are located close to the sources of raw
material such as steel, sugar, and cement
industries. Perishability is a vital factor for the
industry to be located closer to the source of
the raw material. Agro-processing and dairy
products are processed close to the sources of
farm produce or milk supply respectively.

Governments adopt regional policies to

promote balanced economic development and
hence set up industries in particular areas.

Access to Labour Supply

Labour supply is an important factor in the
location of industries. Some types of
manufacturing still require skilled labour.
Increasing mechanisation, automation and
flexibility of industrial processes have reduced
the dependence of industry upon the labours.
Access to Sources of Energy
Industries which use more power are located
close to the source of the energy supply such
as the aluminium industry.
Earlier coal was the main source of energy,
today hydroelectricity and petroleum are also
important sources of energy for many
industries.
Access to Transportation and
Communication Facilities
Speedy and efficient transport facilities to carry
raw materials to the factory and to move finished
goods to the market are essential for the
development of industries. The cost of transport
plays an important role in the location of
industrial units. Western Europe and eastern
North America have a highly developed transport
system which has always induced the
concentration of industries in these areas. Modern
industry is inseparably tied to transportation
systems. Improvements in transportation led to
integrated economic development and regional
specialisation of manufacturing.

Access to Agglomeration Economies/

Links between Industries
Many industries benefit from nearness to a
leader-industry and other industries. These
benefits are termed as agglomeration
economies. Savings are derived from the
linkages which exist between different
industries.
These factors operate together to determine
industrial location.

Foot Loose Industries

Foot loose industries can be located
in a wide variety of places. They are
not dependent on any specific raw
material, weight losing or otherwise.
They largely depend on component
parts which can be obtained
anywhere. They produce in small
quantity and also employ a small
labour force. These are generally not
polluting industries. The important
factor in their location is accessibility
by road network.

Classification of Manufacturing Industries

Manufacturing industries are classified on the
basis of their size, inputs/raw materials,
output/products and ownership (Fig. 6.1).
Industries based on Size
The amount of capital invested, number of
workers employed and volume of production
determine the size of industry. Accordingly,
industries may be classified into household or
cottage, small-scale and large-scale.
Secondary Activities

47

48

Fundamentals of Human Geography

Artifacts

Cottage
or
Household

Small
Scale

Size

Mineral
based

Non-ferrous

Copper,
aluminium,
gems and
jewellery

Iron and
Steel

Metallic

Sugar,
edible oil,
cotton textile,
coffee,
tea, rubber,
etc.

Agro
based

Ferrous

Large
Scale

Timber,
lac,
terpentine,
paper

Forest
based

Leather,
wool

Animal
based

Biscuits

Iron and
Steel

Textiles

Consumer
goods

Output/Product

Basic

Fig. 6.1 : Classification of Industries

Cement, Pottery

Non-Metallic

Petrochemical,
plastic,
synthetic,
fibre,
salts,
chemicals
fertilisers

Chemical
based

Inputs/Raw Materials

Based on

Classification of Industries

Vehicles,
e.g. cars,
scooters,
cycles

Public
Sector

Private
Sector

Size

Joint
Sector

HOUSEHOLD INDUSTRIES OR
COTTAGE MANUFACTURING
It is the smallest manufacturing unit. The
craftsmen or artisans use local raw materials
and simple hand tools to produce everyday
goods in their homes with the help of their family
members or part-time labour. Finished
products may be for consumption in the same
household or, for sale in local (village) markets,
or, for barter. Capital and transportation do not
wield much influence as this type of
manufacturing has low commercial significance
and most of the tools are devised locally.

Some common everyday products

produced in this sector of manufacturing
include foodstuffs, fabrics, mats, containers,
tools, furniture, shoes, and figurines from wood
lot and forest, shoes, thongs and other articles from
leather; pottery and bricks from clays and stones.
Goldsmiths make jewellery of gold, silver and
bronze. Some artefacts and crafts are made out of
bamboo, wood obtained locally from the forests.
Small Scale Manufacturing
Small scale manufacturing is distinguished
from household industries by its production
techniques and place of manufacture (a
workshop outside the home/cottage of the
producer). This type of manufacturing uses
local raw material, simple power -driven
machines and semi-skilled labour. It provides
employment and raises local purchasing power.
Therefore, countries like India, China, Indonesia
and Brazil, etc. have developed labour-intensive
small scale manufacturing in order to provide
employment to their population.

Fig. 6.2 (a) : A man making pots in his courtyardexample of household industry in Nagaland

Fig. 6.3: Products of Cottage Industry on Sale

in Assam

Large Scale Manufacturing

Fig. 6.2 (b) : A man weaving a bamboo basket by the

roadside in Arunachal Pradesh

Large scale manufacturing involves a large

market, various raw materials, enormous
energy, specialised workers, advanced
technology, assembly-line mass production and
large capital. This kind of manufacturing
developed in the last 200 years, in the United
Kingdom, north-eastern U.S.A. and Europe. Now
it has diffused in almost all over the world.
Secondary Activities

49

On the basis of the system of large scale

manufacturing, the worlds major industrial
regions may be grouped under two broad types,
namely
(i) traditional large-scale industrial regions
which are thickly clustered in a few more
developed countries.
(ii) high-technology large scale industrial
regions which have diffused to less
developed countries.

Fig. 6.5: Tea Garden and a Tea Factory in the Nilgiri

Hills of Tamil Nadu

Agri-business is commercial farming

on an industrial scale often financed
by business whose main interests lie
outside agriculture, for example, large
corporations in tea plantation
business. Agri-business farms are
mechanised, large in size, highly
structured, reliant on chemicals, and
may be described as agro-factories.

Fig. 6.4 : Passenger car assembly hires at a plant of

the Motor Company in Japan

Industries based on Inputs/Raw Materials

On the basis of the raw materials used, the
industries are classified as: (a) agro-based; (b)
mineral based; (c) chemical based; (d) forest
based: and (e) animal based.
(a)

Agro based Industries

Agro processing involves the processing of raw

materials from the field and the farm into finished
products for rural and urban markets. Major
agro-processing industries are food processing,
sugar, pickles, fruits juices, beverages (tea, coffee
and cocoa), spices and oils fats and textiles
(cotton, jute, silk), rubber, etc.
Food Processing
Agro processing includes canning, producing
cream, fruit processing and confectionery. While
some preserving techniques, such as drying,
fermenting and pickling, have been known since
ancient times, these had limited applications to
cater to the pre-Industrial Revolution demands.
50

Fundamentals of Human Geography

(b)

Mineral based Industries

These industries use minerals as a raw material.

Some industries use ferrous metallic minerals
which contain ferrous (iron), such as iron and
steel industries but some use non-ferrous
metallic minerals, such as aluminium, copper
and jewellery industries. Many industries use
non-metallic minerals such as cement and
pottery industries.
(c)

Chemical based Industries

Such industries use natural chemical minerals,

e.g. mineral-oil (petroleum) is used in petrochemical industry. Salts, sulphur and potash
industries also use natural minerals. Chemical
industries are also based on raw materials
obtained from wood and coal. Synthetic fibre,
plastic, etc. are other examples of chemical based
industries.

(d)

Forest based Raw Material using

Industries

The forests provide many major and minor

products which are used as raw material.
Timber for furniture industry, wood, bamboo
and grass for paper industry, lac for lac
industries come from forests.

INDUSTRIES BASED ON OWNERSHIP

(a) Public Sector Industries are owned and
managed by governments. In India, there
were a number of Public Sector
Undertakings (PSUs). Socialist countries
have many state owned industries. Mixed
economies have both Public and Private
sector enterprises.
(b) Private Sector Industries are owned by
individual investors. These are managed
by private organisations. In capitalist
countries, industries are generally owned
privately.
(c) Joint Sector Industries are managed by
joint stock companies or sometimes the
private and public sectors together
establish and manage the industries. Can
you make a list of such industries?
Traditional Large-Scale Industrial Regions

Fig. 6.6: A pulp mill in the heart of the Ketchikans

timber area of Alaska

(e)

Animal based Industries

Leather for leather industry and wool for

woollen textiles are obtained from animals.
Besides, ivory is also obtained from
elephants tusks.
Industries Based On Output/Product
You have seen some machines and tools made
of iron or steel. The raw material for such
machines and tools is iron and steel. Which is
itself an industry. The industry whose products
are used to make other goods by using them
as raw materials are basic industries. Can you
identify the links? Iron/steel
machines
for textile industry
clothes for use by
consumers.
The consumer goods industries produced
goods which are consumed by consumers
directly. For example, industries producing
breads and biscuits, tea, soaps and toiletries,
paper for writing, televisions, etc. are consumer
goods or non-basic industries.

These are based on heavy industry, often

located near coal-fields and engaged in metal
smelting, heavy engineering, chemical
manufacture or textile production. These
industries are now known as smokestack
industries. Traditional industrial regions can
be recognised by:
High proportion of employment in
manufacturing industry.
High-density housing, often of inferior
type, and poor services.
Unattractive environment, for example,
pollution, waste heaps, and so on.
Problems of unemployment, emigration
and derelict land areas caused by closure
of factories because of a worldwide fall in
demand.
The Ruhr Coal-field, Germany
This has been one of the major industrial
regions of Europe for a long time. Coal and iron
and steel formed the basis of the economy, but
as the demand for coal declined, the industry
started shrinking. Even after the iron ore was
exhausted, the industry remained, using
imported ore brought by waterways to the Ruhr.
The Ruhr region is responsible for 80 per
cent of Germanys total steel production.
Secondary Activities

51

Changes in the industrial structure have led to

the decay of some areas, and there are problems
of industrial waste and pollution. The future
prosperity of the Ruhr is based less on the
products of coal and steel, for which it was
initially famous, and more on the new
industries like the huge Opel car assembly
plant, new chemical plants, universities. Outof-town shopping centres have appeared
resulting in a New Ruhr landscape.
Concept of High Technology Industry
High technology, or simply high-tech, is the
latest generation of manufacturing activities. It
is best understood as the application of
intensive research and development (R and D)
efforts leading to the manufacture of products
of an advanced scientific and engineering
character. Professional (white collar) workers
make up a large share of the total workforce.
These highly skilled specialists greatly
outnumber the actual production (blue collar)
workers. Robotics on the assembly line,
computer -aided design (CAD) and
manufacturing, electronic controls of smelting
and refining processes, and the constant
development of new chemical and
pharmaceutical products are notable examples
of a high-tech industry.
Neatly spaced, low, modern, dispersed,
office-plant-lab buildings rather than massive
assembly structures, factories and storage
areas mark the high-tech industrial landscape.
Planned business parks for high-tech start-ups
have become part of regional and local
development schemes.
High-tech industries which are regionally
concentrated, self-sustained and highly
specialised are called technopolies. The Silicon
Valley near San Francisco and Silicon Forest
near Seattle are examples of technopolies. Are
some technopolies developing in India?
Manufacturing contributes significantly to
the world economy. Iron and steel, textiles,
automobiles, petrochemicals and electronics
are some of the worlds most important
manufacturing industries.

52

Fundamentals of Human Geography

Iron and Steel Industry

The iron and steel industry forms the base of
all other industries and, therefore, it is called a
basic industry. It is basic because it provides
raw material for other industries such as
machine tools used for further production. It
may also be called a heavy industry because it
uses large quantities of bulky raw materials and
its products are also heavy.
Iron is extracted from iron ore by smelting
in a blast furnace with carbon (coke) and
limestone. The molten iron is cooled and
moulded to form pig iron which is used for
converting into steel by adding strengthening
materials like manganese.
The large integrated steel industry is
traditionally located close to the sources of raw
materials iron ore, coal, manganese and
limestone or at places where these could be
easily brought, e.g. near ports. But in mini steel
mills access to markets is more important than
inputs. These are less expensive to build and
operate and can be located near markets
because of the abundance of scrap metal, which
is the main input. Traditionally, most of the steel
was produced at large integrated plants, but
mini mills are limited to just one-step process
steel making and are gaining ground.
Distribution : The industry is one of the
most complex and capital-intensive industries
and is concentrated in the advanced countries
of North America, Europe and Asia. In U.S.A,
most of the production comes from the north
Appalachian region (Pittsburgh), Great Lake
region (Chicago-Gary, Erie, Cleveland, Lorain,
Buffalo and Duluth) and the Atlantic Coast
(Sparrows Point and Morisville). The industry
has also moved towards the southern state of
Alabama. Pittsburg area is now losing ground.
It has now become the rust bowl of U.S.A. In
Europe, U.K., Germany, France, Belgium,
Luxembourgh, the Netherlands and Russia are
the leading producers. The important steel
centres are Birmingham and Sheffield in the
U.K.; Duisburg, Dortmund, Dusseldorf and
Essen in Germany; Le Creusot and St. Ettienne
in France; and Moscow, St. Petersburgh,
Lipetsk, Tula, in Russia and Krivoi Rog, and

Donetsk in Ukraine. In Asia, the important

centres include Nagasaki and Tokyo-Yokohama
in Japan; Shanghai, Tienstin and Wuhan in
China; and Jamshedpur, Kulti-Burnpur,
Durgapur, Rourkela, Bhilai, Bokaro, Salem,
Visakhapatnam and Bhadravati in India.
Consult your atlas to locate these places/
centres.
Cotton Textile Industry
Cotton textile industry has three sub-sectors
i.e. handloom, powerloom and mill sectors.
Handloom sector is labour -intensive and
provides employment to semi-skilled workers.
It requires small capital investment. Why did
Mahatma Gandhi propagate Khadi as part of
the independence movement? This sector
involves spinning, weaving and finishing of the
fabrics. The powerloom sector introduces
machines and becomes less labour intensive

and the volume of production increases. Cotton

textile mill sector is highly capital intensive and
produces fine clothes in bulk.
Cotton textile manufacturing requires good
quality cotton as raw material. India, China,
U.S.A, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Egypt produce
more than half of the worlds raw cotton. The
U.K, NW European countries and Japan also
produce cotton textile made from imported
yarn. Europe alone accounts for nearly half of
the worlds cotton imports. The industry has to
face very stiff competition with synthetic fibres
hence it has now shown a declining trend in
many countries. With the scientific advancement
and technological improvements the structure
of industries changes. For example, Germany
recorded constant growth in cotton textile
industry since Second World War till the
seventies but now it has declined. It has shifted
to less developed countries where labour costs
are low.

EXERCISES
1.

Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below.
(i)

Which one of the following statements is wrong?

(a) Cheap water transport has facilitated the jute mill industry along
the Hugli.
(b) Sugar, cotton textiles and vegetable oils are footloose industries.
(c)

The development of hydro-electricity and petroleum reduced, to a great

extent, the importance of coal energy as a locational factor for
industry.

(d) Port towns in India have attracted industries.

(ii)

(iii)

In which one of the following types of economy are the factors of production
owned individually ?
(a) Capitalist

(c)

(b) Mixed

(d) None

Socialist

Which one of the following types of industries produces raw materials

for other industries?
(a) Cottage Industries

(c)

Basic Industries

(b) Small-scale Industries

(d) Footloose Industries

Secondary Activities

53

(iv)

Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched ?

(a)

2.

Los Angeles

(b)

Shipbuilding industry

Lusaka

(c)

Aircraft industry

Florence

(d)

Iron and Steel industry

Pittsburgh

Write a short note on the following in about 30 words.

(i)
(ii)
(iii)

3.

Automobile industry

High-Tech industry
Manufacturing
Footloose industries

Answer the following in not more than 150 words.

(i)

Differentiate between primary and secondary activities.

(ii)

Discuss the major trends of modern industrial activities especially in

the developed countries of the world.

(iii)

Explain why high-tech industries in many countries are being attracted

to the peripheral areas of major metropolitan centres.

(iv)

Africa has immense natural resources and yet it is industrially the most
backward continent. Comment.

Project/Activity
(i)
(ii)
(iii)

54

Carry out a survey in your school premises of the factory-made goods

used by students and the staff.
Find out the meaning of the terms bio-degradable and nonbiodegradable. Which kind of material is better to use? Why?
Look around and make a list of the global brands, their logos and
products.

Fundamentals of Human Geography