Understanding Raw Materials, Energy, Industry, and the Tertiary Sector
Raw Materials
Raw materials are necessary to produce an industrial product. They can be found in nature and are transformed to be usable by industries.
- Raw materials of animal origin: These include materials derived from animals, such as wool, leather, etc.
- Raw vegetable materials: These are agricultural products, such as cotton, wood, etc.
- Raw materials of mineral origin: Extracted from the subsoil, these materials cannot be used directly and are subject to change.
Mining
Mining is the set of processes for removing minerals from underground.
Mines can be of two types:
- Underground: Extraction is more difficult and dangerous.
- Open-pit: The air can be renewed, so these mines are safer.
Traditional Sources of Energy
Energy sources are natural resources from which, through a process of transformation, it is possible to obtain some form of energy needed to operate industries, transport, and for domestic use.
They are classified into two groups based on the possibility of depletion:
- Renewable: These are inexhaustible, such as the sun, water, wind, etc.
- Non-renewable: These are found in limited quantities, such as coal, oil, etc.
According to economic importance, energy sources are classified as:
- Traditional: The most used sources, including coal, gas, oil, etc.
- Alternative: These are used less because they are still under investigation, such as solar, wind, geothermal, etc.
Alternative Energy Sources
Solar or photovoltaic: Solar energy is abundant, inexhaustible, and non-polluting. Photovoltaic panels convert solar energy into electricity.
Wind power: This is obtained from the use of wind power. Windmills convert wind into electricity.
Industry
Industry encompasses the activities necessary to transform materials into products for consumption.
Current Industry
Industry today is characterized by automation and the sophistication of its processes, which have incorporated computers and robotics, reducing labor and manufacturing time, as well as diversifying products.
Types of Industries
They are classified in two ways:
- Industrial goods production: These industries produce products that are not consumed directly but are semi-finished products, which serve as raw materials for other industries.
- Consumer goods industries: These industries produce articles that are intended for the direct market and consumers, such as the industry dedicated to manufacturing furniture.
- Cutting-edge industries: These industries use the most advanced and recent technologies, such as microelectronics.
Company
The basic unit of industrial activity is the company. Companies can be classified:
Based on Dimension
- Small Business: Up to 50 employees.
- Medium-Sized Enterprises: Up to 250 employees.
- Big Business: More than 250 employees.
According to the Organization
- Limited Partnership (SL): When it belongs to one or several owners.
- Corporations (SA): When the property is divided into shares.
According to the Source of Capital
- Public: When capital comes from the state, which manages it.
- Private: When capital and management are in the hands of an individual.
Tertiary Sector
The tertiary sector is the economic sector that includes activities that do not produce material goods but provide services to the population.
Trivial Sector
There is also a sector devoted to mundane jobs that require little academic preparation and are usually poorly paid, such as domestic services, cleaning jobs, street vending, etc.
Higher Tertiary or Quaternary Sector
This includes joint activities related to technology and science. It requires a good academic preparation.
Characteristics of the Tertiary Sector
It is a heterogeneous range of services, quantifying the size of the staff. Activities are intangible and impossible to store. They are located close to the consumer, have a low level of mechanization, and are spread unevenly.
Classification
- Social services: These bring together activities related to administration, education, health, etc.
- Distribution services: These bring together activities associated with the movement of people, goods, and information.
- Business services: These provide services to other companies.
- Consumer services: These are related to retail trade, hotels, leisure, etc.
Causes of Tourism Development
- Increased free time thanks to the introduction of the five-day workweek.
- The welfare society, which covers basic needs and secures old age and disability pensions.
- Widespread use of the automobile and improved road networks.
Effects of Tourism
- Positive: Income, jobs, improving contact with other cultures, and learning other languages.
- Negative: Price increases, land speculation, poorly paid jobs, and serious environmental impacts, such as alteration of the coast.