Raw Materials, Energy Sources, and Types of Industry & States
Raw Materials and Energy Sources
Raw Materials
Raw materials are natural resources that transform industries. They can be:
- Organic: Derived from living organisms, including agriculture (cotton), livestock (skin), logging (wood), and fish (oil).
- Minerals: Come from the Earth’s crust, found in fields or areas with high mineral content. Minerals can be metallic (iron), nonmetallic (quartz), rock quarrying (granite), or uranium (mineral energy).
The production of raw materials is concentrated in countries in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. Consumption is concentrated in Western Europe, Japan, and the EU, which import large quantities for their industries. The commodities trading, based on the low price of raw materials and the higher price of finished products, is a major cause of external debt in developing countries.
Energy Sources
Energy sources are natural resources that provide the power necessary for industries. They are classified by duration and importance of use.
Duration
- Non-renewable: Depleted when used, as their formation takes millions of years and reserves are limited. These include coal, petroleum, natural gas, and uranium.
- Renewable: Inexhaustible because they do not disappear when used or are continually replenished. These include solar, water, wind, and sea.
Importance of Use
- Traditional: The most widely used due to significant technological development. These include coal, oil, natural gas, hydropower, and nuclear fission.
- Alternative: Have limited use because their technology is under development or is expensive. These include solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, tidal, and nuclear fusion.
Specific Energy Sources
Coal
Coal is a mineral fuel formed by the decomposition of plant debris underground over millions of years. The oldest types, anthracite and bituminous coal, have higher quality and calorific value than more recent types, such as lignite and peat. Coal has been known since antiquity but became widespread after the First Industrial Revolution as fuel for steam engines. Since 1945, its consumption has decreased due to alternative energy sources and rising operational costs. It is used to produce electricity, manufacture iron and steel, and obtain gas and various chemicals.
Advantages: Abundant reserves.
Disadvantages: Non-renewable, highly polluting, CO2 and sulfur emissions contribute to the greenhouse effect and acid rain.
Main producing countries: China, USA, India, and Russia.
Oil
Oil is a mineral composed of hydrocarbons, formed by the decomposition of buried plant and animal organisms over millions of years. It forms pockets or deposits between impermeable strata. Known since antiquity, its widespread industrial use began in the mid-nineteenth century for lighting and later for the chemical industry and internal combustion engines. Currently, it is the main energy source worldwide. Oil is used, after refining, for fuel, engine oil, asphalt, and as feedstock for the petrochemical industry.
Advantages: Ease of extraction and transport.
Disadvantages: Non-renewable, highly polluting.
Leading producing countries: Saudi Arabia, USA, Russia, Iran, and Mexico.
Natural Gas
Natural gas is a mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons with the same origin as oil, which it is often associated with. Known since antiquity, its modern development began alongside oil but became widespread in the 1950s with advancements in transport and storage. It is used for electricity, domestic heating and cooking, and as feedstock for the chemical industry.
Advantages: High calorific value, low price, less pollution compared to petroleum.
Disadvantages: Non-renewable.
Main producing countries: Russia, USA, and Canada.
Nuclear Energy
Nuclear energy is obtained by the fission of atoms of radioactive minerals like uranium. It became known during World War II and has been used for peaceful purposes since then, becoming widespread after the 1973 oil shocks. It is used to generate electricity, in medicine, and the chemical industry.
Advantages: Powerful.
Disadvantages: Risk of accidents, storage of waste, highly polluting, high cost of construction and decommissioning of plants.
Producing countries: France, Japan, United States.
Hydroelectric Power
Hydroelectric power is derived from water impounded behind a dam. The water drives a turbine connected to a generator that produces electricity. Known since antiquity, its modern usage dates back to the early twentieth century.
Advantages: Instantaneous, inexhaustible, clean.
Disadvantages: Flooding of villages and farmland, changes river flow, affecting ecosystems.
Main producing countries: Canada, USA, Brazil, and China.
Alternative Energy Sources
Alternative energy sources developed after the 1973 oil crisis. They are inexhaustible and cleaner than traditional sources, but their technology is still under development, making them more expensive.
- Solar energy: Comes from sunlight, providing heat or electricity. Problems include daily and annual irregularity and storage difficulty.
- Wind power: Comes from wind, driving turbines to generate electricity. The main problem is wind irregularity.
- Biomass energy: Derived from agricultural, livestock, and forestry waste. The waste can be fermented or burned, producing heat or electricity. The problem is CO2 emissions from combustion.
- Wave energy: Comes from tidal or wave power, used to produce electricity. Problems include environmental changes caused by facilities and high cost.
- Geothermal energy: Comes from the Earth’s internal heat, used for heating and electricity. The problem is its localization in areas with volcanic or seismic activity.
- Nuclear fusion energy: From the fusion of light atoms. The problem is that fusion requires very high temperatures, and initiating and controlling the reaction is still unresolved.
Types of Industry
Industries are classified according to the destination of goods produced and the weight and volume of their raw materials and products.
- Basic industries: Produce materials used by other industries, such as steel and petrochemicals. They are heavy industries, consuming large quantities of raw materials and requiring heavy capital investment and large spaces.
- Manufacturing industries: Produce equipment for other industries and transportation, including building materials, machinery, industrial equipment, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, robotics, and electronics.
- Use and consumption industries: Manufacture products for direct consumer use, such as food, textiles, and chemicals. They are light industries, requiring less capital investment and being more dispersed throughout the country.
Example: Three Gorges Dam
The construction of the Three Gorges Dam in China resulted in the displacement of over one million people and the submersion of many cities.
Types of States
Based on Head of State
- Monarchies: The head of state is the king, who inherits the position.
- Republics: The head of state is a president, elected through public elections.
Based on Relationship Between Executive and Legislative Branches
- Parliamentary monarchies or republics: Executive power is divided between the chief of state (king or president with limited power) and the prime minister (executive power who must have the confidence of parliament). The prime minister cannot dissolve parliament.
- Presidential republics: Have a single executive, the president, who serves as both chief of state and prime minister. The president is chosen by the electorate and cannot dissolve parliament.
Democratic States
- State power is limited by law, usually a constitution outlining citizen rights.
- Sovereignty resides in the people, who participate directly or indirectly through elected representatives.
- Ideological and political pluralism exists, with political parties representing citizen interests.
- Free and pluralistic elections are held with universal suffrage.
- Separation of powers is effective, with legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
Authoritarian States
- State power has no limits or oversight and does not recognize citizen rights.
- Sovereignty resides in one person or a small group, preventing citizen participation.
- No political or ideological pluralism exists.
- No free elections are held.
- Separation of powers is not respected.
Centralized or Devolved States
- Centralized states: Decision-making is concentrated in the central government. Territorial divisions are run by appointees who implement central decisions.
- Decentralized states: Decision-making is shared between territorial divisions, which are governed by their own elected administrations and can decide on certain matters.