CGU4U ~ World Geography

INDUSTRY

KI#1: Where is it located?

Where?

¾ of the world’s industrial production is concentrated in four regions: Northwestern Europe Eastern Europe North America East Asia

General information

Agriculture covers ¼ of the Earth’s land Industry covers less than 1% of the Earth’s

land Look at map p 367 – look at dotted area

EUROPE

Within Europe there are four distinct districts: UK Rhine-Ruhr Valley Mid-Rhine Northern Italy

(see page 368, figure 11-2)

Why these four areas?

Proximity to raw materials (coal and iron ore) and markets (large concentrations of wealthy European consumers).

United Kingdom Dominated manufacturing in the 19th

century Produced more than half of the

WORLD’S cotton fabric and 2/3 of the WORLD’S coal. WOW!

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION – the revolution in industrial technology created an unprecedented expansion in productivity, resulting in substantially higher standards of living. The Industrial Revolution created social, economic, political, and industrial changes.

United Kingdom

Following WWII, the UK lost their position of industrial leader as Germany and Japan rebuilt their factories after the bombings. Map p. 368 Figure 11-3 United Kingdom

RHINE – RUHR VALLEY (Northwestern Germany) page 368 Unlike Britain, where it was easy to unify the

country with railways, the rest of Europe had a difficult time creating an efficient transportation network as various wars and financial costs slowed industrial development.

RHINE – RUHR VALLEY

Industrial development followed a linear concentration settlement pattern.

The region produced steel and iron because of close proximity to large coalfields.

Rhine river helped developed the transportation networks.

MID – RHINE (Southwestern Germany) (page 368) Second most important industrial area in

Western Europe (next to the UK) Important financial and commercial centre

because of central location. The location also attracts industry that produce goods countrywide (easy to transport)

Large iron-ore fields lend to large steel production

NORTHERN ITALY

Industrial Revolution occurs in the 20th century

Major industrial region emerged in the Po River basin where more approximately half Italy’s population resides.

Produced textiles, raw materials processors, and mechanical parts assemblers

Access to cheap labour, cheap electricity, and a major river

EASTERN EUROPE (mostly Russia page 370) Occurs under communist rule Has access to market (consumers) Transportation accessible – rail, ports ship

building Rich in natural resources

NORTH AMERICA (page 371) Industrial Revolution occurs later here but

grew faster than the UK US 1776 – predominantly agricultural

society. First textile mill built 1791. After 1808 – textile industry took off as US

placed a trade embargo on Europe during the Napoleonic wars.

By 1860 – US second to the UK as an industrial nation

CANADA

main industry concentrated along the St. Lawrence and Ontario Peninsula.

Situated along the Canada – US border. Proximity to water, electricity, transportation,

natural resources.

EAST ASIA (map p 372)

Advantage: large labour force Disadvantages: relatively isolated and

shortage of essential resources Japan became industrial power in

1950s and 1960s. Cheap labour produced large quantities of cheap goods.

Japan then turned to training highly skilled workers when threatened by South Korea, Taiwan and other countries for cheap labour.

China – emerging manufacturing power Largest labour force Manufacturing is clustered along the coastal

regions