Edexcel GCSE Geography ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND ENERGY Revision
The exam paper You will sit one exam that will last three hours. In the exam you will answer 7 questions in total. The question on ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND ENERGY is in Section B, Question 4 of the exam paper. It is worth 25 marks in total and you MUST answer all parts of the question. Questions will range from 1-9 marks There will be a variety of question types, including: Multiple choice questions Short definition questions and extended essay style Graphical and data questions, testing your observation skills Checklist of topics that you need to know about ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND ENERGY, according to the specification: The classification of employment by sector: primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary. The activities that are typical to each sector. How the relative importance of these sectors changes over time Why the relative importance of these sectors varies from place to place/ The characteristics/features of informal employment. The causes/reasons for the growth of informal employment. Factors affecting the growth of tertiary and quaternary activities. Factors affecting the changing location of tertiary and quaternary activities. Factors affecting the changing location of manufacturing. The rising demand for energy. The reasons for the growing gap between energy consumption and energy production, ie. the energy gap. The concept of finite energy resources and the need for energy efficiency. The relative merits of using renewable (e.g. wind, tidal and solar) versus non-renewable sources of energy (e.g. fossil fuels and nuclear power). CASE STUDIES: UK and Ethiopia, Motorsport Valley, South Wales/M4 Corridor
The classification of employment by sector What is economic activity? Something that provides people with work. They help countries develop and become more prosperous. They are essential to our lives because they produce something for sale and consumption. Economic activities are grouped according to what they produce and the types of jobs they offer: Primary Sector: Involves the extraction of raw materials to be supplied to other industries. For example: Farming, forestry, fishing and mining. Secondary Sector: Raw materials are assembled or manufactured to produce a finished product. For example: food processing, manufacturing, building. Tertiary Sector: Jobs which involve providing goods and services to the public. For example: transport, retail, medicine, catering. Quaternary Sector: Providing specialist information or expertise to all other sectors. For example: research, design engineering, computer programming. The importance of different economic sectors in countries is a good indicator of how developed a country is. The LIC s are more likely to rely on primary economic activities. The HIC s are more likely to rely on tertiary economic activities. The importance of the sectors can be measured in two ways: Employment - how many people work in each sector. What percentage of a country s GNP (Gross National Product) or GDP (Gross Domestic Product) comes from the sector. Some industries, (e.g. farming) employ lots of people but produce low value goods. Others may employ fewer people and produce higher value goods (e.g. biochemist).
How the importance of economic sectors change as a country develops As a country develops: The numbers working in the primary sector decreases. The numbers in the secondary and tertiary sectors increases. The numbers in the primary and secondary sector fall. The numbers in the tertiary sector grow until it becomes the most important sector. The quaternary sector develops. The industrialisation of the UK Economic sectors change as a country goes through industrialisation. These changes can be divided into THREE phases: 1. Pre-industrial phase more than 2/3 work in the primary sector. Agriculture is the most important activity. 2. Industrial phase the secondary sector peaks during this phase but rarely provides jobs for more than 1/2 of the workforce. 3. Post-industrial phase tertiary sector is most important. Quaternary sector begins. These sectoral shifts are part of the development process. This is called the development pathway or development staircase: Agriculture becomes mechanised and moves away from subsistence farming. Farming needs fewer workers so they can take other jobs. People are free to move from the countryside into urban settlements (towns and cities) urbanisation. Traditional craft industries are replaced by factories making goods for the growing market. Factory wages give people more disposable income which is often spent on services. The range of services increases and the tertiary sector becomes the most important. The quaternary sector develops as leading countries invest in higher education and new technologies.
Variations between and within countries Case Study: Ethiopia and UK This map shows the countries of the world divided into four groups based on per capita GNI (the total amount of money earned by the country divided equally by the number of people). e.g. Ethiopia and UK case study. Low-income countries (LICs) mainly occur in Central Africa and South and South East Asia. The primary sector is most important. Lower and upper middle-income countries (MICs) are most common in South America, North and South Africa, parts of the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Asia. The secondary sector is quite strong. High-income countries (HICs) are mainly found in North America, Western Europe and Australasia. The tertiary sector is strongest.
Informal employment The informal sector, also called the black economy, is unofficial and unregulated. However this sector employs millions of people across the world, especially in LICs. Causes of the informal sector In many LICs today large numbers of people are migrating from rural (countryside) to urban areas (towns and cities) because: They are looking for work and regular wages. They believe the quality of life is better in towns and cities. More working age people are moving to towns and cities than the number of jobs available. Surplus labour (the number of workers more than the number of jobs) leads to underemployment and unemployment. Because so many workers are looking for jobs, employers can pay low wages. The wages are too low for the worker to live on so they find other ways to make a living. Characteristics Informal activities are often part of the tertiary sector e.g: Shoe-shining, rubbish collecting, scavenging waste for recycling, begging or prostitution. No health care or unemployment benefits SO injured, sick or unemployed workers have no income. High exposure to work-related risks (e.g. accidents) SO workers are often injured or suffer ill-health. Unregulated SO children are employed. Children work in vulnerable conditions and are exposed to hazards (e.g. crime, violence, toxic fumes) SO they suffer poor health and development problems. Children don t go to school SO unlikely to break out of the cycle of poverty.
Factors affecting the changing growth of tertiary and quaternary activities Cycle of growth As a country moves along the development pathway, several things happen: It can afford more and better social services, such as schools, medical centres, hospitals and libraries. People earn more money so they can spend more in the shops on basic things such as food and clothing. People s tastes change and this impacts on the tertiary sector. E.g. cinemas closed because many people preferred to watch DVDs at home. New technology creates and makes possible new services. E.g. all the new services connected with ICT. The tertiary sector s share of employment and GDP is inflated by the decline in the primary and secondary sectors. The population is becoming greyer. 15% of the UK s population is over 65 and the rate of spending in this age group is growing faster than in any other. These SKI-ers (Spending the Kid s Inheritance) are keen shoppers and tourists. The key factors in the growth of tertiary activities are: Rise in prosperity and personal wealth. Use of new technology.
Factors affecting the changing location of tertiary and quaternary activities Case Study: Motorsport Valley (redevelopment of an area) Economic activities are found in a particular place for good reasons. These are location factors. Accessibility is a key location factor and the reason many services are found in the CBD in both LICs and HICs. CBDs are accessible because: Urban transport networks converge. Transport networks link to surrounding areas. Customers come from within and outside the town, from it s sphere of influence. Decentralisation has been a feature of HIC cities over the last 25 years. People and businesses have moved out of the CBD and inner city to the suburbs and urban fringe. The urban fringe has a number of attractions for tertiary and quaternary industries. Developments at the urban fringe include: The attractions of the urban fringe. Superstores and retail parks large areas with one or more shops and car parking. Industrial estates modern manufacturing and service industries in a planned layout. Business parks created by property developers to attract firms needing office and retail space. Often includes leisure uses (e.g. bowling alleys). Science parks usually near a university to encourage high-tech industries and quaternary industries. e.g: Motorsport Valley case study.
Factors affecting the changing location of manufacturing Case Study: M4 Corridor Effects Most of the world s manufacturing is found in a small number of countries. USA, China and Japan are responsible for over 50% of production. In 1970, 88% of world manufacturing was in HICs. Today HICs produce 70% of world manufacturing. Today 25% of manufacturing is in MICs, particularly China, Brazil, Russia and India. Causes Transnational corporations (TNCs) huge companies that locate their factories in the cheapest locations. Transport faster and cheaper transport makes distance (e.g. from raw materials to markets) less important. Communications the speed of modern communications mean companies immediately contact factories in different countries. Energy Most modern manufacturing uses electricity. National grids mean electricity can be available almost anywhere. Governments Encourage companies to set up factories in their countries by offering low tax or cheap buildings. New branches of manufacturing manufacturing of consumer goods (e.g. electrical and electronic goods, clothes and furniture) is said to be footloose. Location factors, such as the availability of raw materials, are less important in locating these manufacturing industries. e.g. M4 Corridor case study.
The rising demand for energy and the energy gap Primary energy is fuels that provide energy without undergoing any conversion process (e.g. coal, natural gas and fuel wood). Secondary energy is made from processing primary energy (e.g. electricity, petrol and coke). Energy demand The worldwide demand for energy is constantly rising because of: Increase in population. Economic development. As a country develops it uses more energy for manufacturing, transport and providing services. Europe and North America use 70% of the world s energy but only 20% of the world s population live there. They were the first countries to industrialise. They first used their own energy supplies. Now they import energy, especially oil. There is low energy consumption over much of South America, Africa and South and South-east Asia. Energy production ¾ of the world s energy comes from 3 non-renewable sources; oil, natural gas and coal. The major producers of energy are also the main consumers (e.g. the USA, Western Europe, Russia etc.) There is little energy production in countries with low demand for energy. Global energy sources
The rising demand for energy and the energy gap The energy gap The difference between a country s rising demand for energy and its ability to produce energy from its own sources. The UK is facing an energy gap because the use of fossil fuels is being phased out faster than renewable sources are being developed: UK natural gas consumption has increased because it produces less pollution than coal and oil (the dash for gas ). Up until 2000 the UK used only its own gas, from the North Sea, but this source is running out and gas is now being imported from Belgium, Norway, Russia and the Middle East. The world has plenty of reserves of coal, oil and natural gas but there are moves to cut their use to reduce carbon emissions (thought to cause climate change). The global energy problem is due to some countries consuming more than they produce while others have energy surpluses (which gives them political and economic power e.g. Russia).
The concept of finite energy resources and the need for energy efficiency Global energy sources are under increasing strain as demand increases. Energy must be used sparingly and with utmost efficiency. Non-renewable sources of energy are finite and must be conserved. Burning fossil fuels causes pollution. There are a number of things individuals can do to save energy: Walk or cycle rather than use a car. Insulation house walls and loft. Do not run the dishwasher or washing machine unless they are full. Switch off or unplug computers, TVs etc when they re not being used.
The relative merits of using renewable versus nonrenewable sources of energy.
The relative merits of using renewable versus nonrenewable sources of energy.
The relative merits of using renewable versus nonrenewable sources of energy.
Key Terms Economic sector: A major division of the economy based on the type of economic activity. The economies of all countries are made up of three sectors; most HICs have a fourth sector. Energy: Heat and motive power. The former provided by the Sun and by burning coal, oil and timber; the latter provided by electricity, gas, steam and nuclear power. Energy consumption: The amount of energy used by individuals, groups or countries. Energy gap: A gap created because the loss of energy caused by phasing out the use of fossil fuels id greater than the amount of energy that is being developed from new, low-carbon sources. Fossil fuel: Carbon fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas that cannot be remade, because it will take millions of years for them to form again. Global shift: The movement of manufacturing from HICs to cheaper production locations in LICs. Informal employment: Types of work that are not officially recognised and are taken up by people working for themselves on the streets of LIC cities. Informal employment: Types of work that are not officially recognised and are taken up by people working for themselves on the streets of LIC cities. Non-renewable energy: Energy produced from resources that cannot be replaced once they are used. Examples include the fossil fuels of coal, oil and natural gas. Primary sector: Economic activities concerned with the working of natural resources agriculture, fishing, mining and quarrying. Energy efficiency: Making the most of energy sources in order to cut down on waste and reduce consumption. High-tech industry: Economic activities that rely on advanced scientific research and produce new, innovative and technologically advanced products, such as microchips, new medical drugs and new materials. Quaternary sector: Economic activities that provide highly skilled services such as collecting and processing information, research and development. Secondary sector: Economic activities concerned with making things such as cars, buildings and electricity. Renewable energy: Sources of energy which cannot be exhausted, such as the Sun, wind and running water. Tertiary sector: Activities that provide a wide range of services and enable goods to be traded.
Exam question THE QUESTION ON ECONOMIC ACTIVITY is in SECTION B, QUESTION 4. The question will be laid out as follows: Part A of question: There will be 2-3 questions for PART A and will total 4 marks. Based on a table/graph/diagram/picture. This is used to test your observation skills. Most of the time YOUR OWN KNOWLEDGE IS NOT NEEDED. Part B of question: There will be 2 questions to PART B and will total 6 marks. The first question you will be asked to define a word. Make sure you know all the KEY TERMS for the topic for this question. This will be worth 2 marks. The second question will be a 4 mark question. This will usually be related to the word you have been asked to define in the 2mark question. Part C of question: There will one 6 mark question. Part D of question: There will be one 9 mark question. This will be related to the CASE STUDIES.
Edexcel GCSE Geography Globalisation and Migration Revision
The exam paper You will sit one exam that will last three hours. In the exam you will answer 7 questions in total. The question on GLOBALISATION AND MIGRATION is in Section D, Question 12 of the exam paper. It is worth 30 marks in total and you MUST answer all parts of the question. Questions will range from 1-9 marks There will be a variety of question types, including: Multiple choice questions Short definition questions and extended essay style Graphical and data questions, testing your observation skills Checklist of topics that you need to know about GLOBALISATION AND MIGRATION, according to the specification: The rise of the global economy (growth of production and commodity chains) and the factors encouraging it (trade, foreign investment, aid, labour, modern transport and information technologies). The global shift in manufacturing and the reasons for this (labour costs, resources, profiteering). TNCs: organisation; role as key players in the global economy; benefits and costs to countries hosting TNCs. Migration a component of population change; international migration; net migration. Types of migration (voluntary versus forced); the push-pull factors affecting migration. Managing migration refugee and asylum-seeker issues: the case for controlling migration flows. Case studies: India and China, Tesco and UK migration.
The rise of the global economy Globalisation is the process which is drawing countries into a single global economy by growing economic, communication and transport links. Countries are becoming more dependent on each other (interdependence) so economic decisions taken in one part of the world (usually HICs) can affect what happens in other parts of the world (usually MICs and LICs). Four developments have increased interdependence: Transnational corporations (TNCs), have spread across the globe. The growth of regional economic or trading blocks such as the European Union (EU) and North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). These break down barriers between nations (e.g. import taxes) so there is more global trade. Modern transport networks (air, land and sea) can move people and good quickly and cheaply. Information technology and communication technology mean important decisions can whizz around the globe in seconds. E.g. A TNC based in London can monitor sales around the world and check up on what is happening in its branches in other countries. Decisions can be transmitted quickly.
The rise of the global economy The global economy involves five flows (characteristics) that make countries interdependent: Trade the import and export of raw materials, food, finished goods or services. Aid often economic aid (money) given from one country (donor) to another (receiving nation). Foreign investment TNCs are able to exploit economic opportunities around the world by investing in other countries (e.g. Shell drilling for oil in Nigeria). Labour People move between countries for work and a better life. TNCs move their factories to countries where labour is cheap. Information The global economy depends of data and decisions being communicated quickly around the world. Production chains (also called supply chains or commodity chains) show the flows of raw materials and goods that make countries interdependent. Call centres in India for companies based in the UK or USA show the flow of information. Economic migrations shows the flow of labour.
The global shift in manufacturing Case Study: India and China TNCs look for the cheapest locations to make their products and so increase their profits (profiteering). Factories in HICs have closed and been replaced by new factories (branch plants) in LICs or MICs. So Deindustrialisation in the developed world and industrialisation in the developing world has led to the global shift in manufacturing. Today manufacturing produces about 25% of the UK s wealth (GDP). Fifty years ago it was 40%. Over this time the UK has lost its traditional industries (e.g. iron and steel, shipbuilding and textiles). These commodities are still being produced by TNCs in lowcost and more profitable locations. The new manufacturing locations have a comparative advantage: Near to a sources of raw materials (e.g. iron ore or oil). Cheap land available for building factories. Cheap labour (often without unions). The company pays workers less and they work longer hours, often in less safe conditions. Few anti-pollution regulations. This is a big attraction for industries like steel and chemicals that are big polluters of air and water. Efficient and cheap modern transport means it doesn t matter that the factories are located thousands of kilometres from the markets for their products. A lot of manufacturing has moved to Asia, especially India and China. These two countries are called emerging economies.
Transnational Corporations (TNCs) Case Study: Tesco TNCs are key players in the global economy. This means they have a lot of power and influence. Other key players include: the United Nations (UN), World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Trade Organisation (WTO), the USA, EU and Japan. TNCs set up global production chains that make countries interdependent: To be close to major markets To sell inside trade barriers To take advantage of government incentives To be able to operate with few restrictions. A good example is the Nissan factory in Sunderland (north east England): The factory was close to the EU markets Cars made there escape the tariffs (import taxes) and quotas that make it difficult to export cars from Japan into the EU. The EU and UK government offered money to help set up the factory to encourage new jobs in the north east (where there was high unemployment). Benefits and costs to countries hosting TNCs.
Transnational Corporations (TNCs) TNCs are key players in the global economy. This means they have a lot of power and influence. Other key players include: the United Nations (UN), World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Trade Organisation (WTO), the USA, EU and Japan. TNCs set up global production chains that make countries interdependent: To be close to major markets To sell inside trade barriers To take advantage of government incentives To be able to operate with few restrictions. A good example is the Nissan factory in Sunderland (north east England): The factory was close to the EU markets Cars made there escape the tariffs (import taxes) and quotas that make it difficult to export cars from Japan into the EU. The EU and UK government offered money to help set up the factory to encourage new jobs in the north east (where there was high unemployment). Benefits and costs to countries hosting TNCs. Creates jobs and gives a chance of better quality of life. Profits don t stay in the host country. Negative environmental and social impacts. World s poorest countries have yet to see a benefit.
Migration and population change Population change means an increase or decrease in the number of people living in an area. Two processes: natural change and migration. Natural change is the balance between birth rates and death rates. Migration is the movement of people into and out of and area or country. net in-migration if there are more immigrants (in-comers) than emigrants (out-goers) means population growth. net out-migration (more emigrants than immigrants) leads to loss of population. The rate of population change depends on natural change combined with migration. Most world-wide population change is the result of natural change. Only international migration would affect the population of countries. Internal migration (movement of people within a country) only affects the distribution of people within the country.
Migration and population change Migration involves: A change of address. That change must last at least a year. Someone working abroad for six months is not a migrant. Circulation is moves that are shorter in time: The move is temporary. Shopping, commuting, holidays and working abroad for six months are circulation. Can be: Daily Weekly Seasonal
Types of migration Voluntary migration Where people choose to move either within their own country or to another country. Usually economic reasons (to find work or better paid jobs) or for a better quality of life. LICs this usually means moving from rural to urban areas. HICs increasing numbers moving out of large cities into smaller urban places or the countryside. This is counterurbanisation. Globalisation has led to an increase in economic migrants but many of these stay for less than a year (so not really migrants). Retirement migration People are living longer (the life expectancy for women in the UK is 81. For men it is 76) and more people are moving to enjoy their retirement. Reasons: No need to live close to their workplace. To downsize to a smaller house To sell an expensive home and use the money as a pension.
Types of migration Retirement migration (continued) To move to a quieter and more attractive environment. Three main types: Local stay in the same locality but move house. Regional stay within the country but move to a more attractive location (e.g. the coast). International move to another country. Forced migration When people are forced to move from where they live without any choice. Usually to another country but can be within a country. Causes: Major physical disaster such as flood, drought, earthquake or volcano. These migrants will often move back when it is safe to do so. Political or social reasons including war and ethnic cleansing. This is the biggest cause of forced migration (e.g. Jews during WW2). Refugees Four different categories: Refugee a person who lives outside their home country due to fear of being persecuted (due to race, religion, political opinion or social group). Asylum seeker a person who has left their country of origin and is waiting a decision if they are allowed to stay in another country as a refugee. Internally-displaced person (IDP) a person forced to flee their home but staying within their home country. Returnee a refugee or asylum seeker who has voluntarily returned to their home country, or an IDP who have returned home. Push-pull factors A pull force attracts someone to a place. A push force occurs in the place of origin and pushes the person away. Pulls are often the opposite of pushes.
Types of migration The growing numbers of migrants today are not only due to push and pull factors: Modern communications increase the amount of reliable information about a place. Would-be migrants can see and feel distant places so they are more likely to move. Modern transport makes it quicker, easier and often cheaper for people to move. Relaxing national boundaries where it s in the economic interest of the country, for example to admit skilled migrant workers.
Managing migration Case Study: UK migration Governments have a responsibility to monitor and manage its population. The key issue is the rate of population change; is it too fast or too slow? What needs to be done in terms of: i. Natural change ii. Net migration Rates of natural change can be influenced by promoting birth control or encouraging parents to have more children. Net migration can be managed by controlling the number of people crossing a country s borders. Governments can encourage and discourage migrants (see the UK case study).
GLOBALISATION AND MIGRATION KEY TERMS Asylum seeker: A person who tries to enter a country by claiming to be a victim of persecution of hardship. Commodity chain: A sequence of stages in which companies to exploit resources, transform them into goods or commodities and, then, distribute them to consumers. It is pathway along which a good travels from producers to consumers. Economic migrant: A person seeking work in another country. Ecotourism: A form of tourism that tries to minimise its environmental impacts by using local resources and labour and by keeping profits within the local area. Foreign direct investment: In which a company or government becomes involved in the economy of another country. Economic globalisation: The increasing integration of national markets for goods and services into a single global market. Global shift: The present movement of economic production to new and cheaper locations in the world. Information technology: The use of computers and software to manage and process information. Mass tourism: Popular, large-scale tourism of the type pioneered in southern Europe, the Caribbean, and North America in the 1960s and 1970s. Net migration: The balance between the number of people entering and the number leaving a country or region. Package holiday: A holiday in which travel and accommodation are put together by a tour operator and sold as a relatively cheap package. Push-pull factors: The things that encourage people to migrate from one area to another. The negatives in the area of departure (push) are balanced against the positives of the destination (pull). Refugee: A person who reasons for migrating are due to fear of persecution or death. Tourism: Any leisure time or recreational activity which involves at least one night s absence from the normal place of residence. Transnational corporation (TNC): A large company operating in a number of countries and often involved in a variety of economic activities.