Understanding Agriculture: Practices, Factors, and Types
Agriculture: An Overview
Agriculture: The cultivation of land to obtain food for human consumption and raw materials for industry.
Agricultural Revolution
Agricultural Revolution: A rapid change in the methods of land ownership and cultivation.
Agriculture Today
Developed Countries
In developed countries, less than 5% of the active population is engaged in agriculture. There is high productivity due to technical advances.
Developing Countries
In developing countries, almost 80% of workers are engaged in
Read MoreAgricultural and Economic Terms: A Concise Lexicon
Agricultural and Economic Terms
Aquaculture
The farming technique of aquatic plants and animals. Includes freshwater aquaculture (raising fish in fish farms) and marine aquaculture (shellfish, mussels, sea bass, etc.).
Part-Time Farming
Small holding, highly productive, generating additional income to people whose main activity lies outside this sector.
Extensive Agriculture
Agriculture practiced in large areas.
Intensive Agriculture
Aims to extract as much product as possible per unit area, often involving
Read MoreUK History: EU, Commonwealth, and Immigration
From EEC to EU
- 1957: Treaty of Rome (6 countries)
- 1961: Application for membership (De Gaulle / Pompidou)
- 1/01/1973: Official entry (with Ireland and Denmark)
- 1975: Referendum on continued membership: YES.
- 1992: Maastricht Treaty: new forms of co-operation; Changed name to European Union
Monetary union.
- British supports Treaty but not Euro
The Enlarged EU
Since 2007: 27 EU Members
From Empire to Commonwealth
- 17th century: Imperial expansion
- Economic, Political, Social, and Ideological reasons
- 19th Century: Movement
Raw Materials and Energy Sources: Production & Impact
Secondary Sector: Transforming Raw Materials
The secondary sector encompasses activities focused on transforming raw materials into products that fulfill human needs.
Industry: Definition and Requirements
Industry is the activity that transforms raw materials into manufactured products, suitable for direct consumption or as semi-finished goods. It requires:
- Raw materials
- Energy sources
- Production factors (capital, technology, and labor)
Mining: Extraction and Refining
Mining involves locating (prospecting)
Spain’s Tourism Sector: Types, Trends, and Impact
Tourism in Spain
Tourism became a mass phenomenon in the 1950s due to the rising standard of living, and changing social and cultural values. Tourism is a major activity in Spain’s economy, employing 1.5 million people. It’s also a significant agent of landscape transformation, and while it has become a factor of degradation, plans like the *Excellence in Tourism* and *Travel Dynamism Plans* aim to enrich and diversify the tourism offerings.
Types of Tourist Flows
The huge influx of tourists to Spain
Read MoreThe Industrial Revolution: Origins and Society
The Industrial Revolution: Economic and Technological Changes
The Industrial Revolution was a set of interrelated economic and technological changes that resulted in a profound transformation of the economy and society. Early changes occurred in Great Britain in the mid-eighteenth century.
Demographic Revolution
Prior to the Industrial Revolution: High mortality and high birth rates.
Economy
- Agriculture was the main economic activity.
- Mercantilism was the dominant economic thought.
- Triangular trade formed