World Geography / Unit 4: Economic and Political Geography
4.1 Economic Sectors
Notes
Economic activities are grouped by what kind of work they involve.
- Primary sector: taking raw materials from nature (farming, fishing, mining, forestry).
- Secondary sector: turning raw materials into products (manufacturing, construction, food processing).
- Tertiary sector: services (retail, transport, health care, education, banking).
- Quaternary sector: information and knowledge work (research, software, data analysis).
- Poorer countries often have more workers in the primary sector. Wealthy countries usually have most workers in the tertiary and quaternary sectors.
- Example: a farmer grows wheat (primary), a mill makes flour (secondary), a store sells bread (tertiary), a food scientist develops a recipe (quaternary).
Practice
A factory that turns steel into cars belongs to which sector?
Manufacturing is secondary activity.
Which worker is part of the tertiary sector?
Transportation is a service.
A country has 60 percent of its workers in farming and fishing. What can be inferred?
A large primary share is typical of lower-income economies.
Ready for more? Take the Unit 4 test.