WORLD GEOGRAPHY

CHAPTER SIX

“HUMAN SYSTEMS”

PART I: ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY

I. ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY

A. Deals w/ how people earn a living & use resources

B. Also deals w/ the links among economic activities

II. NATURAL RESOURCES

A. Substances become resources if and when they become useful

B. Value of resources has changed over time (why?)

1. Wood (deforestation)

2. Coal (pollution, mining problems, competition with oil and gas)

3. Petroleum (transportation, environmental considerations)

4. Nuclear (contamination/waste)

5. Solar, wind (cost, aesthetics)

C. Are distributed unequally; effects include ...

1. Interdependence of nations (trade in goods, services, and capital resources)

2. Uneven economic development

3. Energy producers and consumers

4. Imperialism

5. Conflict over control of resources

III. ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES

A. Primary

1. Deal directly with natural resources (fishing, farming, forestry, mining)

2. Located at the site of the natural resources being used

B. Secondary

1. Manufacturing and processing (steel mills, automobile assembly, sawmills)

2. Located near the resource being used or close to the market for the finished product

C. Tertiary

1. Services (transportation, retail trade, informational technology services)

2. Located near customers

3. Use of computers & the Internet is changing the locations of many service industries

IV. ECONOMIC SYSTEMS (worksheet)