Edexcel IGCSE Geography 复习笔记 4.1.2 Location of Economic Sectors

• Every type of economic activity has a particular location
• The location is affected by both physical and human factors
• These factors relate to the needs of the economic activity
• Physical factors include:
  • Raw materials - industries require raw materials to produce goods
  • Land - how much land costs and how much is available
  • Energy - where the industries get their power supply from
  • Climate - some industries benefit from particular climates
• Human factors include:
  • Capital - the money that is available to set up and run the economic activity
  • Transport and communications - accessibility by road, air and rail is important to many industries
  • Market - how close the industries are to the market
  • Labour - all industries need workers
  • Government policy - tax incentives, cheaper rent

The Importance of Location Factors in Different Economic Sectors

• Primary economic activities include agriculture, mining, forestry and fishing
  • Distance from market and cost of transport would be particularly important for mining due to the bulky products
  • Climate would be more important for agriculture

• Secondary economic activities involve manufacture such as cars, food processing, ship building. The importance of the location factors depends on:
  • The weight of raw materials and the finished product as heavier, bulky products cost more to transport
  • The size of the factory required, car manufacture needs much more space than food processing or clothing production

• Tertiary economic activities involve providing a service such as healthcare or retail. The most important factor for location is usually:
  • Proximity to the customers

• Quaternary economic activities involve high technology such as research and development. The most important factors in their location:
  • Proximity to skilled workers and universities
  • Pleasant working environment

• The location of economic activities do not stay same but change over time
• The location of primary industry may be affected by a number of factors:
  • Drought, soil erosion, flooding and other events may lead to decreased growth of crops/raising of livestock
  • Raw materials may run out in an area or become economically unviable
  • Climate change may affect the types of crops which can be grown
• The location of manufacturing activities or secondary economic activities has changed significantly:
  • Transport is faster and cheaper which means products can be moved around the world
  • An increase in transnational corporations (TNCs) with factories and offices in many countries
  • Factories were once tied to a power source of coal supplies or water. Electricity is now available almost anywhere
  • The internet means instant communication with factories/offices around the world is possible
  • Government policies in emerging and developing countries are aimed at attracting manufacturing often using tax incentives
  • Cheaper labour, less strict health and safety, cheaper land and more workers are all available in developing and emerging countries. These reduce costs and increase profits
  • Raw materials may no longer be available in the area
• These changes have led to a reduction in secondary economic activities in developed countries such as the UK
• This is known as deindustrialisation

• The location of tertiary and quaternary economic activities is increasingly located in rural (greenfield) areas on the rural urban fringe due to a number of factors:
  • There is more open space for expansion and car parking
  • Land is cheaper
  • More accessible
  • Located near the suburbs and commuter village - good access for workers and customers
  • Increase in science parks, business parks and retail parks where similar businesses are located together
• This process is known as decentralisation

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