ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

Economic Activity - Key Ideas Activities contributing to the economy of a country are divided into 3 sectors: PRIMARY SECONDARY TERTIARY Extractive Manufacturing Services Data usually shows the % of a country’s workforce that is employed in each of the sectors. This is known as the EMPLOYMENT STRUCTURE of a country

Employment structure data is often used as a development indicator because it shows clear differences between MEDCs and LEDCs “Typical” LEDC = ?? Dominated by primary employment eg Burkina Faso P = 87% S = 5% T = 8% “Typical” MEDC = ?? Mainly tertiary employment eg France P = 5% S = 20% T = 75% 4. As countries develop, their employment structures change eg Egypt in 1900 P = 71% S = 10% T = 19% Egypt in 2000 P = 42% S = 21% T = 37%

LEDCs developing today do not necessarily follow the same route through the sectors as current MEDCs did when they developed Eg the ‘Asian Tiger’ NICs* of the Pacific Rim (eg South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia etc) * = ? Newly Industrialised Countries Secondary sector often less significant in employment terms, but wrong to say that there is no mnfg~ in NICs Reasons? Technological innovation, expansion of world trade 6. Sectoral change leaves problems in its wake eg the decline of coal mining in the UK eg deindustrialisation in MEDCs (manufacturing decline) eg the role of multinational corporations in LEDCs

A brilliant device – the triangular graph – is used Displaying The Data A brilliant device – the triangular graph – is used % Primary % Secondary % Tertiary

How Do You Read These Graphs?

How Do You Read These Graphs? Primary %

How Do You Read These Graphs? Primary % Secondary %

How Do You Read These Graphs? Primary % Secondary % Tertiary %

Now Put Your Finger On It! Point to P 20 S 30 T 50 % Primary % Secondary % Tertiary

Now Put Your Finger On It! Oh Yes! % Primary % Secondary % Tertiary

Now Put Your Finger On It! Now try P 10 S 70 T 20 % Primary % Secondary % Tertiary

Now Put Your Finger On It! Now try P 10 S 70 T 20 Yes Indeed! % Primary % Secondary % Tertiary

Now Put Your Finger On It! One more… P 60 S 0 T 40 % Primary % Secondary % Tertiary

Holy Cow, Batman! It’s right! Now Put Your Finger On It! Holy Cow, Batman! It’s right! % Primary % Secondary % Tertiary