Levels of Economic Activity Levels of Economic Activity

Levels of Economic Activity

Levels of Economic Activity • Economic geographers group money-making activities into four categories— primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary • The level of economic development a nation has is closely tied to the types of economic activities its people engage in. • Less developed countries – most people engage in primary economic activities • Newly industrialized countries – engage in secondary economic activities • More developed countries – engage in tertiary or quaternary economic activities

Primary Activities • Involves the production of foods and the extraction of resources • Use natural resources directly • The smaller the portion of people involved in primary economic activities, the greater the economy will be developed • Examples: fishing, mining, herding, forestry, farming

Secondary Activities • Manufacture and production of goods • Add value to raw materials by processing them or by changing their form • Examples: logs cut into wooden planks and then assembled into furniture; milk processed into cheese and ice cream

Tertiary Activities • Identified by a variety of services performed by people or businesses • Usually located near customers to serve them better • Internet and has dramatically changed the location of service industries (online shopping, etc. ) • Examples: teachers, doctors, truck driver, accountant, sales

Quaternary Activities • Involve information processing/distributing and management • Require workers with specialized skills and knowledge • Not tied to resources, environmental conditions, or access to markets (can be located anywhere) • Examples: computer programmer, general managers, research scientists

1. Frozen Food Factory Worker 2. Furniture Manufacturer 3. Prescription Drug Researcher 4. Fisherman 5. Business Management Professor 6. Oil Pump Operator 7. Potato Farmer 10. Furniture Salesman 8. Mickey D’s Cashier 11. Gas sales Analyst 9. Valero Gas Station Attendant 12. Frozen Food