KEY ISSUE 1 Where is Industry Distributed Today

KEY ISSUE 1 Where is Industry Distributed?

Today, we think of industry as the production of goods in a FACTORY setting.

Modern industry is a product of the INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION- a series of improvements to industrial technology that drastically changed the process of manufacturing goods.

Before the industrial rev’n, industry was dispersed and small-scale; items were produced at home or in small shops for sale at the local market or for barter. Such in-home production was called COTTAGE INDUSTRY.

Some of today’s largest companies have evolved from tiny ‘cottage’ roots. The first Dell computers were handmade in this dorm room.

The industrial revolution was driven by new inventions that allowed for a dramatic increase in the PRODUCTIVITY of industry. Among the most important of these was James Watts’ STEAM ENGINE, which drove many other innovations that followed.

Each advance allowed for continued progress. The new steam engine allowed for a continuous way of heating IRON furnaces, replacing hand-driven billows and greatly expanding production output.

COAL replaced wood as the primary source of energy during this era. This mineral was widely available in England, and could be used to efficiently power early engines.

Industrial Revolution made wide use of early hydropower; factories were often located near rivers. Arkwright’s COTTON WATER FRAME used hydropower to make cotton spinning far more efficient. “Mill Town”

Huge advances in TRANSPORTATION accompanied this era, driven by RAILROADS and CANALS. These new methods allowed large and bulky materials to be shipped efficiently.

Railroad Constructio n is an effective indicator of where the Revolution began and spread.

The Rev’n was not just industrial. Social, political, and economic advances also rapidly changed quality of life in this era.

One of the most powerful of these social impacts was a massive drive toward URBANIZATION. Attracted by the wide availability of factory jobs, cities boomed with migrants.

Today, most major industry is centered in just three of the world’s 9 primary regions. • Europe • North America • East Asia

Each of these regions accounts for approximately ¼ of global industrial output; the final ¼ is made up by all remaining countries combined.

INDUSTRIAL REGIONS of EUROPE

RHINE-RUHR VALLEY (GERMANY) UNITED KINGDOM � Heart of the Ind. Rev. , original steel and textile industries have since been replaced by high-tech manufacturing and financial services. � Ample supply of ore has made this a major steel & iron processing center. Finished products exported through Rotterdam- world’s largest port.

MID-RHINE (GERMANY) Frankfurt - financial & commercial center + major hub of transport. Stuttgart hosts production of high-value, specialized goods. Mannheim is major producer of chemicals, synthetic fibers, and pharmaceuticals. � PO BASIN (ITALY) Cheap labor and abundant hydroelectricity have attracted major textile and other industries to this region between Milan and Torino. �

METRO MOSCOW NORTHEAST SPAIN Centered on restive Catalonia, this is one of the fastest-growing industrial regions in Europe, producing textiles and other materials. Houses one of Europe’s largest auto plants. � Russia’s oldest manufacturing region is centered in and around the sprawling capital city. Site of heavy industrial development by the USSR. �

ST. PETERSBURG � Russia’s 2 nd largest city specializes in shipbuilding and other port-city specialties. Major shipping and economic hub of the Baltic Sea region. URALS Steel, metals, machinery, and other heavy manufacturing activities located here due to the many mineral inputs available. �

VOLGA Widespread metal/chemical manufacturing due to proximity to mineral inputs; hosts Russia’s largest oil and natural gas fields. � KUZNETSK Abundant supplies of coal and iron ore have brought manufacturing to this northern region. �

DONETSK � This region of � eastern Ukraine has some of the world’s largest coal deposits. One of the biggest industrial regions in the former USSR. SILESIA his rapidly growing industrial region takes advantage of Eastern Europe’s cheap labor and its proximity to richer Northern markets.

INDUSTRIAL REGIONS of NORTH AMERICA

NEW ENGLAND MID ATLANTIC This was one of the cotton-spinning centers of the world in the nineteenth century. Cotton imported from the south was finished in ‘mill towns’ and exported around the globe. � Close to the highest concentration of Americans, this important region specializes in highvalue products that depend on proximity to both markets and ports. �

MOHAWK VALLEY � This region of New York State centered on Buffalo takes advantage of abundant and cheap hydroelectricity to power industrial operations. PITTSBURG ERIE This was the site of major steel production in the 19 th century due to proximity to Appalachian coal and iron ore. Steel exported widely using canals and railroads. �

� WESTERN GREAT LAKES SOUTH/CENTRAL CALIFORNIA This is modern center of American steel production, automobile production, and is the central hub of the US rail transportation network. • The nation’s largest textile, clothing, & furniture producer, a center of American technology production, and a major exporter of agricultural goods.

Southeastern Ontario This is Canada’s most populous region and center of its industries, utilizing easy transportation on the Great Lakes and proximity to major US markets. �

INDUSTRIAL REGIONS of EAST ASIA

JAPAN Japan’s industrial economy emerged in the 1950 s/60 s, making cheap goods that undercut world prices. Later transitioned into high-tech and heavy manufacturing like cars through capital reinvestment. Most productive region is situated between Tokyo and Kobe.

SOUTH KOREA With industry centered along its Western and Southern coasts, SK has followed Japan’s lead into the manufacturing of hightech and heavy industry goods. SK is major producer of ocean-going ships, and its cars and technology are exported widely.

EASTERN CHINA Major supplier of cheap labor and producer of a wide range of consumer goods, China’s three industrial regions are situated on the East Coast – one near Hong Kong/Guangdong, another along the Yangtze River from Wuhan to Shanghai on the coast, and the last situated around Beijing and the Bo Hai gulf.

OUTSIDE OF THESE REGIONS, two other countries contain major industrial activity: BRAZIL and INDIA.

BRAZIL’s industrial activity is centered on the populous southeaster n coast.

Industrial activity producing consumer goods, especially textiles, can be found throughout the Indian subcontinent.

Both India and Brazil, like many developing countries, depend on CHEAP LABOR to a make themselves appealing for investors. In both countries, child labor is a major issue- abhorred by many, but attractive to some unscrupulous international investors.