Understanding Industrial Activities, Revolutions, and Global Landscapes
1. Organization and Types of Industries
Industrial Activities: The industry transforms raw materials through manufacturing. Productive activity takes place in factories using specialized machinery.
According to its place in the production process, industry can be:
- Basic or header (first processing of raw materials)
- Capital goods (manufacture of machinery)
- Consumer goods (products for the population)
Classification of Industries and Businesses
According to the technological level, industries are divided into:
- New technologies (telecommunications, biotechnology)
- Traditional
Companies can be classified according to their size:
- Small: fewer than 250 workers
- Medium: 50 to 250 workers
- Large: over 250 workers
2. The Industrial Revolutions
The 1st Industrial Revolution
The 1st Industrial Revolution developed in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
- Overcoming stage-craft
- Use of rail and steamship
- Rise of the steel industry and textiles
- Location near mines and ports
The 2nd Industrial Revolution
Began in the early twentieth century in the U.S.
- The use of oil and electricity
- Revolution in transportation and communications
- Mass-Production: assembly lines
- Concentration in urban agglomerations
The 3rd Industrial Revolution
It began in the late twentieth century.
- Advancing the technology of information and communication
- Biotechnology and New Materials
- Flexible and fragmented Production
- Relocation of enterprises and transfers to low-wage countries
3. Industrial Location and Changes
Location Factors
Industrial location depends on:
- The abundance of natural resources
- The cost and qualification of manpower
- The consumer market, transport infrastructure
- The existence of capital
- Environmental quality
- Rooting-territorial
Changes in Location
The importance of location factors change:
- Due to transport improvements
- New industries are developed in developed countries
- Imitator-producers appear in countries with expanding consumer markets
- To reduce labor costs, the move to peripheral industrial territories
4. The New Industrial World Map
Industrialization and Development
Developed countries, which began their industrialization in the 19th century:
- Still have pockets of activity and development
- Suffer the disadvantage of contamination
- Have experienced a loss of industry due to the crisis and conversion since 1980
The Newly Industrialized Countries
In recent years, there have been new industrial countries, especially in Asia. Their industrialization is based on:
- Attraction of multinational companies seeking cheap and abundant labor, with few labor rights
- Low taxes and state subsidies
- Improvements in transportation and communications
5. Types of Industrial Landscapes
Legacy Industrial Landscapes
Black Country:
- Are in areas of mineral deposits
- Have big factories and produce heavy pollution
- Undergo a process of decline and reconversion
Landscapes port Zaandam
- They shelter basic industries and shipyards
- They have activities in decline and dynamic activities
- They show a similar evolution in recent years
Industrial-Urban Landscapes
In the central areas of cities, industry and homes are replaced by offices.
The tecnolopolos are spaces for quality and innovation, with companies and high technology centers.
Industrial Landscapes in Rural Areas
- Predominant agro-industry
- There are traditional industries maintained by cheap labor or artisan tradition specializing in specific products.