Which industry is the oldest? Geography of the main industries of the world

Industry is the leading branch of material production, employing about 350 million people. Over the last century, industrial production has increased more than 50 times.

Depending on the time of origin of the industry, industry is divided into three groups:

1) old industries that arose during industrial revolutions (coal, metallurgical and textile industries, locomotive building, etc.). These industries are growing at a slow pace these days;

2) new industries that determined scientific and technological progress in the first half of the 20th century. (automotive industry, plastics and chemical fiber production, etc.). These industries are now growing at a faster rate;

3) the latest industries that emerged in the era of scientific and technological revolution and related to knowledge-intensive industries (microelectronics, microbiology, robotics, etc.). These industries are called high technology industries. Today, these industries are growing at the fastest and most sustainable rates.

The main shifts in industry in the era of scientific and technological revolution are associated with a decrease in the share of old industries and an increase in the share of new and especially new industries. The territorial proportions of industrial location are also changing. The territorial structure of world industry is primarily determined by the location of large industrial areas. There are more than a hundred of them in the world. The bulk of them are located in foreign countries of Europe, the CIS, East Asia, and North America.

The sectors of the world economy include:

1. Fuel and energy industry.

After the oil and energy crisis of the 70s. The growth rates of these industries have slowed. Therefore, many developed countries have begun to pursue policies of energy conservation and reduction specific costs fuel and energy. At the end of the 90s. world production energy resources amounted to 10 billion tons.

The fuel and energy industry has gone through two stages in its development. The first is the “coal stage” (XIX century – first half of the XX century). At this stage, coal fuel dominated the structure of the world fuel and energy balance. The second is the “oil stage”. Based on the use of the advantages of oil and gas as more economical energy resources.

The fuel and energy industry includes the oil, gas and coal industries. Oil production in the late 90s. amounted to 3 billion tons. Oil is produced in approximately 80 countries around the world, but the geography of this industry is determined by the G7 countries. The peculiarity of the geography of the oil industry is that more than 4/5 of reserves and 1/2 of production are in developing countries. These countries are the main exporters. The largest oil cargo flows are concentrated in the Persian Gulf region and in Russia. World production natural gas is more than 2 trillion. m 3. Major gas producers are Russia, the USA, the Netherlands, and Canada. Coal production is approximately 5 billion tons per year. Coal is mined in 60 countries around the world. In contrast to oil production, economically developed countries predominate among the main coal-producing countries.

2. Electric power industry.

World electricity production is 12 trillion. kW/h per year. Most electricity is produced in the USA, Russia, Japan, Germany and Canada. In the structure of electricity production, the first place belongs to thermal energy (60%), the second place to hydraulic energy (20%), and the third place to nuclear energy (17%).

3. Mining industry.

Is a supplier of mineral raw materials. The share of the mining industry in world industrial production is gradually declining, but it continues to have a major impact on the international geographical division of labor and the geography of the world economy. It is the mining industry that is associated with bridging the territorial gap between production areas and consumption areas, the formation of intercontinental cargo flows, and the development of new resource areas. As a result of the international division of labor in the world economy, eight great mining powers were formed: the USA, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Brazil, India, China and Russia.

4. Metallurgical industry.

Divided into colored and black. The geography of ferrous metallurgy industries is determined by mining iron ore and steel smelting. The world's main producers of iron ore are Russia, China, Brazil, and Australia. World steel production is about 750 million tons per year. IN Lately Enterprises in this industry are growing at a slow pace.

The geography of non-ferrous metallurgy industries is greatly influenced by the characteristics of the raw material base and raw material processing technology. Non-ferrous metal ores have a low metal content, so transporting them is unprofitable. Non-ferrous metallurgy originated in the colonial and semi-colonial periods in Chile, Peru, Indonesia, etc., which are currently major suppliers of non-ferrous metals to economically developed countries.

5. Mechanical engineering.

In terms of the number of employees and the value of products, it ranks first among all sectors of the world economy. 9/10 of all engineering products come from economically developed countries. In the industrial structure of mechanical engineering, the division of all industries into old, new and newest is especially clearly visible. Old industries have either stabilized in their development or are in decline (shipbuilding). New industries are showing some growth in production (automotive). The newest industries are showing rapid and sustained growth (electronic engineering). There are four engineering regions in the world: North America (all types of engineering products), foreign Europe (mass engineering products), Eastern and Southeast Asia(mass engineering combined with high-tech products), CIS countries (the main branch of international specialization).

6. Chemical industry.

It is based on petrochemistry and production polymer materials. There are four main regions in the world: the USA, Western Europe, Japan, and the CIS countries. In each of them, mining chemical industry, production of mineral fertilizers, chemistry of organic synthesis and polymer materials.

7. Forestry and woodworking industry.

The geography is determined by two forest belts. Coniferous wood is harvested within the Northern forest belt. The most developed wood processing industry is in Canada, Finland, Russia and Sweden. Deciduous wood is harvested within the Southern forest belt. The timber industry is developed in tropical Africa, Brazil and Southeast Asia.

8. Textile industry.

Includes the production of natural fiber fabrics and the production of chemical fiber fabrics. The textile industry is represented in all countries of the world. There are five centers: East Asia, South Asia, CIS countries, foreign Europe, and the USA. In each of them, the production of cotton fabrics and chemical fiber fabrics predominates. Recently, the growth rate of the textile industry in economic terms developed countries fall, and increase in developing ones.


2. Geography Agriculture and fisheries

Agriculture is classified as a sector of material production. It employs about 1.1 billion people and is highly diverse. So, scientists identify approximately 50 different types of it. But all types and types of agriculture are combined into two large groups:

1) commercial agriculture, which includes both intensive farming with seed crop rotation, intensive livestock farming with fodder procurement, horticulture and vegetable gardening, as well as extensive fallow and fallow farming and pasture animal husbandry;

2) consumer agriculture, including the more backward plow and hoe farming, pasture farming, nomadic and semi-nomadic cattle breeding, primitive gathering, hunting and fishing.

In economically developed countries, high-value agriculture predominates, taking the form of agribusiness. In the era of scientific and technological revolution, it actually reached the maximum possible level of mechanization and chemicalization. Currently in development main role The introduction of microelectronics, automation, the latest achievements in breeding, genetics, and biotechnology plays a role.

IN developing countries Small-scale agriculture predominates. Recently there has been talk about the “green revolution” - this is the transformation of agriculture based on modern agricultural technology. The Green Revolution is one of the forms of scientific and technological revolution. It includes growing new early ripening grain crops, expanding irrigation, wide application equipment and fertilizers. The green revolution became most widespread in Mexico and a number of countries in South and Southeast Asia.

There are two branches in the structure of agriculture: crop production and livestock production. Crop production is divided into the production of grain crops and the production of food and non-food crops. A large share in the structure of food crops is occupied by grains (wheat, rice, corn). The second place is occupied by oilseeds (soybeans, sunflowers, olives, peanuts). The third place is occupied by sugar crops (sugar cane, beets). In fourth place are tonic crops (tea, coffee). In last place are vegetable and fruit crops.

The geography of livestock industries is determined by the location of livestock and its total number: cattle (India, Brazil, USA), pig farming (Asia, China), sheep farming (Europe, North America), poultry farming.

Fishing plays a special role in the structure of agriculture. 9/10 of the world's production of fish and seafood comes from fishing in the seas and oceans. In the geography of world fisheries in the second half of the twentieth century. big changes have taken place. If before and after the Second World War the main fishing area was the North Atlantic (Norway, Denmark, Great Britain, Germany, USA), then later the center of this industry moved to the northern part Pacific Ocean. Currently, fishing is widespread everywhere, but there are six regions: Japan, China, Russia, USA, Chile, Peru.

Recently, artificial fish farming (aquaculture) has become widespread.

Geography of transport

The world transport system is formed by all communication routes, transport enterprises and vehicles. More than 100 million people are employed in global transport. Every year, more than 100 billion tons of cargo and more than 1 trillion are transported by all types of transport. passengers. The world's freight and transport operations are geographically distributed very unevenly. Transport in economically developed countries is characterized by a high level and interaction of various sub-sectors. In developing countries, transport is a lagging sector of the economy.

The structure of world transport includes land, water and air.

Land transport includes road, rail and pipeline. Length highways is 24 million km. Most high level development road transport noted in the USA. The longest roads are in the USA, India, Russia, Japan and China. Western Europe and Japan are distinguished by the density of roads.

The global railway network was formed at the beginning of the twentieth century. Total length railways is about 1 million km. And what? The length of railways is in the USA, Russia, Canada, Australia, France, Germany and Brazil.

Pipeline transport has developed due to the rapid growth in oil and natural gas production. It has received the greatest development in the USA and Russia.

Water transport includes sea, inland water transport and lake navigation. Maritime transport serves 4/5 of world trade. Sea transportation is served by the merchant marine fleet, whose total tonnage is 420 million tons. The total number of seaports is about 2.5 thousand, of which about 40 are world-class ports. Ports can be universal or specialized. The Panama and Suez canals have a great influence on the geography of maritime transport. Since the era of the greats geographical discoveries, the primacy in world shipping belongs to the Atlantic Ocean, second place belongs to the Pacific Ocean, third place to the Indian Ocean.

The geography of inland water transport is determined by natural conditions (the presence of rivers and lakes), as well as the presence of shipping canals. By the amount of domestic cargo turnover waterways include the USA, Russia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and China. Approximately 1/10 of the total length of inland waterways in use is made up of artificial routes (locked rivers and canals).

Lake shipping is developed mainly in the USA and Canada.

The largest air powers include the USA, Japan, Great Britain, France, Germany, Canada and Russia.

Labor resources and employment

Labor resources are the part of the country’s population that has physical development, mental abilities and the knowledge necessary to engage in socially useful work.

Dimensions labor resources depend on the size of the population, its mode of reproduction, composition by gender and age. The main part of the country's labor resources is its population of working age, as well as teenagers and people of retirement age who are able to work

It is also important to take into account the relationship between the working population, on the one hand, and the non-working (children and old people) on the other. It is called the demographic load. On average, 100 able-bodied people in the world provide their earnings for 70 children and pensioners. In developing countries, this figure is often 100 to 100, while in Japan it is 100 to 41. In Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and the Baltic countries, the demographic burden is approximately equal to the world average.

Labor resource balance - a system of indicators reflecting the number and composition of labor resources and their distribution among employees by industry National economy and forms of ownership, the unemployed and the economically inactive population.

The balance of labor resources is an integral part of the balance of the national economy, characterizing the reproduction of the labor force. Reflects the number of labor resources and their qualitative composition (by gender, age, social groups, types of employment, sectors of the national economy and professions). The balance of labor resources makes it possible to determine the need and surplus for workers.

The balance of labor resources consists of two parts: the first fixes the number and composition of labor resources, the second - their distribution.

The distribution of labor resources is carried out by type of employment, by areas of labor application (material and non-material production), economic sectors, and social groups. It also determines the distribution of labor resources across the territory of the state.

The share of the economically active population varies across countries. In developed Western countries, about 70% of all labor resources are economically active. This situation is primarily associated with unemployment. It sometimes reaches 10 or more percent of the workforce. The share of the economically active population in developing countries is even smaller - 45-55%. This is due to general economic backwardness, lack of jobs, and the difficulty of involving women in production given the predominance of large families, large masses of young people entering working age. True, unemployment in developing countries does not exclude the widespread exploitation of cheap child labor.

The severity of the unemployment problem arises from a number of reasons.

· Firstly, a person is a special type of economic resource. If it is not in demand by the economy now, it cannot be reserved and “put in the refrigerator” until better times. Lost work time irreplaceable, and the volume of goods that was not produced today due to unemployment can no longer be compensated in the future.

· Secondly, even if a person does not work, he cannot stop consuming and he still needs to feed his family. Therefore, society is forced to look for means to save the unemployed from starvation or becoming bandits. But the funds allocated for this do not become a reward for the production of new goods, and therefore do not lead to a further increase in the well-being of all citizens of the country.

· Thirdly, rising unemployment reduces demand for goods on the domestic market. People who do not receive a salary are forced to be content with only the bare minimum of subsistence. As a result, it becomes difficult to sell goods on the country’s domestic market (“the market is shrinking”). Thus, rising unemployment exacerbates the country's economic problems and serves as an impetus for further employment reduction.

· Fourthly, unemployment aggravates the political situation in the country. The reason for this is the growing anger of people who have lost the opportunity to adequately support their families and spend day after day in an exhausting search for work.

· Fifthly, an increase in unemployment can lead to an increase in the number of crimes that people commit in order to obtain the necessary benefits. Unemployment is a global phenomenon: according to the UN, 800 million people are unemployed.

The experience of developed countries shows that the labor market is one of the most important conditions market mechanism. It makes it possible to effectively use the country’s labor potential and creates competition for workplace, contributes to increasing the qualifications of personnel and reducing their turnover. At the same time, the labor market increases mobility work force and helps to promote diverse forms of employment (including part-time work).

Today the labor market actually exists in countries of Eastern Europe, and in China (where there is enormous surplus power in the countryside), and in the states formed on the territory of the former USSR.

Among various categories Of the world's population, women are especially affected by unemployment. Unfortunately, there are still countries in the world where women have no political, social and economic rights at all. In some of them these rights are limited or only formal. Old traditions are still manifested today in such discriminatory measures as unequal pay for equal work with men, restrictions on hiring women, etc.

The largest part of the working population of the planet are peasants, which is explained by the agrarian nature of the economies of many underdeveloped countries. In second place in developing countries in terms of the share of the employed labor force is the service sector (in Latin America it even came out on top). The growth in employment in the service sector is largely due to the spread of small trade.

Industry and construction occupy only third place in developing countries as a share of the labor force.

In developed countries the picture is different. The share of the agricultural population here is immeasurably smaller, and the share of workers, office workers and intellectuals is greater. The share of the population employed in the service sector (passenger transport, retail, public utilities). In the UK, Germany, Belgium, France, Sweden, about 40% of the economically active population works in this area, in the USA - more than 50%.

Many years of experience in countries with developed market economies suggests that the mechanism of market regulation is unable by itself to fully solve the problems of the labor market. This primarily applies to unemployment. Therefore, the problem of unemployment is the subject of close attention, both from the state and from trade unions. The practice of employment regulation in developed Western countries has shown that there is no general recipes, permanent means of employment policy. It varies from country to country depending on the characteristics of the socio-political and economic structure, cultural traditions, and is modified with changes in the situation in the economy and the labor market.

International Labor Organization - since 1946 a specialized agency of the United Nations whose field of activity is the socio-economic problems of workers. The ILO was created in 1919 in accordance with the Treaty of Versailles. The objectives of the ILO are:

· regulation of working hours;

· regulation of labor recruitment;

· fight against unemployment;

· wage guarantees that provide normal conditions life;

· protection of workers from occupational diseases and industrial accidents;

· protection of children, adolescents and women;

· regulation of issues social insurance And social security;

· organization of vocational training.

The ILO operates on a tripartite principle of representation, which provides, along with the representation of the governments of member countries, also the representation of trade unions and employers' organizations of these countries. The main bodies of the ILO are: the General Conference, the Governing Body and the International Labor Office (ILO).

Industrial geography is a branch of economic geography that studies the location of industrial production, its factors and patterns, conditions and features of the development and location of industry in various countries and areas.

For industrial geography, the following important features of industrial production are most significant:

  • a clear and far-reaching division into industries, the number of which is constantly increasing, especially during the period of the modern scientific and technological revolution;
  • the exceptional complexity of production, technological and economic relations, due to the versatility of types of industrial enterprises;
  • variety of forms public organization production (combination, specialization, cooperation);
  • the formation of local and regional production-territorial combinations (in socialist conditions, systematically, mainly in the form of complexes);
  • high degree of production and territorial concentration (of all types of material production, industry is the least evenly distributed across the earth's territory), associated with the need for certain conditions for this type of production (availability of raw materials, energy, personnel, need for products, favorable economic and geographical location, provision of infrastructure etc.).

Industry (from Russian promyshlyat, trade) is a set of enterprises engaged in the production of tools, extraction of raw materials, materials, fuel, energy production and further processing of products. In geography it is considered as a branch of the economy.

Industry consists of two large groups of industries:

  1. Mining.
  2. Processing.

Since the 19th century, industry has been the basis for the development of society. And although today only about one in six workers works in industry, this is still a lot - approximately 17%. Industry is a vital part of the world economy, and at the national economic level it is an industry on which the achievements of the entire national economy of any state depend.

Depending on the time of their origin, all industries are usually divided into three groups: old, new and new industries.

Old industries: coal, iron ore, metallurgical, textile, shipbuilding.

New industries: automotive industry, aluminum industry, plastics production.

Latest industries(emerged in the era of scientific and technological revolution): microelectronics, nuclear and aerospace production, chemistry of organic synthesis, microbiological industry, robotics.

Currently, the role of new and innovative branches of industrial production is increasing. Leading countries in terms of total industrial production: USA, China, India, Germany, Brazil, Russia, Japan, France, Indonesia, Australia, Italy, etc.

Natural Gas Industry

By 1990, Eastern Europe became the leader in production, with the USSR playing a leading role. Significant gas production has emerged in Western Europe and Asia. The result was a change in the geography of the world gas industry. The USA lost its monopoly position, and its share decreased to 1/4, and the USSR became the leader (now Russia has retained its leadership). Russia and the United States concentrate half of the world's natural gas. Russia remains stable and the world's most important gas exporter.

Coal industry

Coal is mined in more than 60 countries of the world, but over 10 million tons of them. 11 countries produce annually - China (Fu-Shun deposit), USA, Russia (Kuzbass), Germany (Ruhr), Poland, Ukraine, Kazakhstan (Karaganda).

Coal exporters are the USA, Australia, South Africa.

Importers - Japan, Western Europe.

Oil industry

Oil is produced in 75 countries of the world, leading Saudi Arabia, Russia, USA, Mexico, UAE, Iran, Iraq, China.

Electric power industry of the world

The role of the electric power industry is to provide electricity to other sectors of the economy. And its significance in the era of scientific and technological revolution, especially as electronization and complex automation especially large.

Over 100 billion kilowatts per hour are generated in 13 countries - the USA, Russia, Japan, Germany, Canada, Italy, Poland, Norway and India.

In terms of electricity generation per capita, the leaders are: Norway (29 thousand kWh), Canada (20), Sweden (17), USA (13), Finland (11 thousand kWh), with a world average of 2 thousand kW h.

Metallurgical industry of the world

Metallurgy is one of the main basic industries, providing other industries with structural materials (ferrous and non-ferrous metals).

For quite a long time, the size of metal smelting almost primarily determined the economic power of any country. And all over the world they were growing rapidly. But in the 70s of the 20th century, the growth rate of metallurgy slowed down. But steel remains the main structural material in the global economy.

Forestry and wood processing industry of the world

The timber and wood processing industry is one of the oldest industries. For a long time, it has provided other industries with construction materials and raw materials. The main importers of wood are Japan, Western European countries, and partly the USA.

Includes: logging, primary forest processing, pulp and paper industry and furniture manufacturing

Light industry of the world

Light industry meets the population's needs for fabrics, clothing, footwear, as well as other industries with specialized materials.

Light industry includes 30 large industries, which are combined into groups:

  • primary processing of raw materials;
  • textile industry;
  • clothing industry;
  • shoe industry.

The main exporters are Hong Kong, Pakistan, India, Egypt, Brazil.

Mechanical engineering

Mechanical engineering is one of the oldest industries. But in terms of the number of employees and the value of products, it still ranks first among all sectors of world industry. Mechanical engineering determines the sectoral and territorial structure of industry and provides machinery and equipment to all sectors of the economy.

North America. Produces about 30% of all engineering products. Almost all types of products are present, but especially worth mentioning is the production of rocket and space technology and computers.

Foreign Europe. The volume of production is approximately the same as in North America. Produces mass production, machine tool and automotive products.

East and Southeast Asia. It stands out for its precision engineering products and precision technology products.

CIS. 10% of the total volume is allocated to heavy engineering.

Chemical industry of the world

The chemical industry is one of the vanguard industries that ensures economic development in the era of scientific and technological revolution.

Stands out 4 large regions chemical industry:

  1. Foreign Europe (Germany leads);
  2. North America (USA);
  3. East and Southeast Asia (Japan, China, Newly Industrialized Countries);
  4. CIS (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus).

The chemical industry has a significant impact on nature. On the one hand, the chemical industry has a wide raw material base, which allows it to recycle waste and actively use secondary raw materials, which contributes to more economical consumption. natural resources. In addition, it creates substances that are used for chemical cleaning water, air, plant protection, soil restoration.

On the other hand, it itself is one of the most “dirty” industries, affecting all components natural environment, which requires regular environmental protection measures.


Fuel industry - includes all processes of extraction and primary processing fuel. Includes: oil, gas, coal industries.

Stages of development:

  1. coal stage (first half of the 20th century);
  2. oil and gas stage (from the second half of the 20th century).
Coal industry Places of production - China (field - Fu-Shun), USA, Russia (Kuzbass), Germany (Ruhr), Poland, Ukraine, Kazakhstan (Karaganda).
Coal exporters are the USA, Australia, South Africa.
Importers - Japan, Western Europe.
Oil industry. Oil is produced in 75 countries of the world, the leaders are Saudi Arabia, Russia, the USA, Mexico, the UAE, Iran, Iraq, and China.
Gas industry. Gas is produced in 60 countries, with Russia, the USA, Canada, Turkmenistan, the Netherlands and the UK leading.

Problems of the fuel industry:

  • depletion of mineral fuel reserves (coal reserves will last for about 240 years, oil - for 50 years, gas - 65);
  • violation environment during extraction and transportation of fuel;
  • territorial gap between the main production areas and consumption areas.

Electric power industry of the world
Role

- providing electricity to other sectors of the economy.
Leaders in production - Norway (29 thousand kWh), Canada (20), Sweden (17), USA (13), Finland (11 thousand kWh), with a world average of 2 thousand. kW. h.
The lowest rates are in Africa, China and India.
Thermal power plants predominate in the Netherlands, Poland, South Africa, Romania, China, Mexico, and Italy.
Hydroelectric power stations - in Norway, Brazil, Canada, Albania, Ethiopia.
Nuclear power plants - in France, Belgium, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain.

The main problems of the electric power industry are:

  • depletion of primary energy resources and their rise in price;
  • environmental pollution.

The solution to the problem is to use it non-traditional sources energy such as:

  • geothermal (already used in Iceland, Italy, France, Hungary, Japan, USA);
  • solar (France, Spain, Italy, Japan, USA);
  • tidal (France, Russia, China, jointly Canada and the USA);
  • wind (Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands).

Metallurgical industry

Metallurgy is one of the basic industries, providing other industries with structural materials (ferrous and non-ferrous metals).
Composition- two industries: ferrous and non-ferrous.
Ferrous metallurgy. Iron ore is mined in 50 countries around the world.
Placement factors:

Natural resource (focus on territorial combinations of coal and iron deposits);
Transport (focus on cargo flows of coking coal and iron ore);
Consumer (related to the development of mini-plants and pigment metallurgy). The leaders in iron ore production are China, Brazil, Australia, Russia, Ukraine, and India. But in terms of steel production - Japan, Russia, USA, China, Ukraine, Germany.

Non-ferrous metallurgy.

Placement factors:

  • raw materials (smelting heavy metals from ores with a low content of useful components (1 - 2%) - copper, tin, zinc, lead);
  • energy (smelting light metals from rich ore - energy-intensive production - aluminum, titanium, magnesium, etc.);
  • transport (delivery of raw materials);
  • consumer (use of recycled materials).
The greatest development is Russia, China, USA, Canada, Australia, Brazil. In Japan and European countries - on imported raw materials.
The leaders in copper smelting are Chile, the USA, Canada, Zambia, Peru, and Australia. The main exporters of aluminum are Canada, Norway, Australia, Iceland, and Switzerland. Tin is mined in East and Southeast Asia. Lead and zinc are smelted in the USA, Japan, Canada, Australia, Germany and Brazil.

Forestry and wood processing industry

Includes: logging, primary forest processing, pulp and paper industry and furniture production.

Placement factor- raw material factor.

It is characterized by the presence of two forest belts.

Harvested within the northern coniferous wood, which is processed into wood boards, cellulose, paper, cardboard. For Russia, Canada, Sweden, and Finland, this industry has become an area of ​​international specialization.

Within the southern forest belt, deciduous trees are harvested. Here we can highlight Brazil, the countries of Southeast Asia and tropical Africa. For paper making in countries southern zone non-wood raw materials are often used - jute, sisal, reed.
The main importers of wood are Japan, Western European countries, and partly the USA.

Light industry
Light industry meets the population's needs for fabrics, clothing, footwear, as well as other industries with specialized materials.

Light industry includes 30 large industries that are grouped together:
primary processing of raw materials;
textile industry;
clothing industry;
shoe industry.
The most important industry light industry is textile.

Main placement factors are:

  • raw materials (for industries of primary processing of raw materials);
  • consumer (for clothing and footwear);
  • a combination of the first two (depending on the production stages of the textile industry).

In first place is the production of cotton fabrics (China, India, Russia). Second place - production of fabrics from chemical fiber (USA, India, Japan). The USA, Japan, and China are the leaders in the production of silk fabrics, while Russia and Italy are leaders in the production of woolen fabrics.

The main exporters are Hong Kong, Pakistan, India, Egypt, Brazil.

Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering determines the sectoral and territorial structure of industry and provides machinery and equipment to all sectors of the economy.
Main industries- electronics, electrical engineering, Computer Engineering, precision engineering.

The production of many types of machines requires large labor costs, highly qualified workers. Instrument making and computer production are especially labor-intensive. And other new industries. These industries require constant implementation latest achievements science, i.e. are knowledge-intensive.
Such productions are located in major cities or next to them. Dependence on metal sources has decreased significantly in the era of scientific and technological revolution. Mechanical engineering today is an industry with almost universal location.

Things have happened in the world 4 large mechanical engineering regions:
North America. Produces about 30% of all engineering products. Almost all types of products are present, but especially worth mentioning is the production of rocket and space technology and computers.
Foreign Europe. The volume of production is approximately the same as in North America. Produces mass production, machine tool and automotive products.
East and Southeast Asia. It stands out for its precision engineering products and precision technology products.
CIS. 10% of the total volume is allocated to heavy engineering.
Chemical industry
The chemical industry has a complex industrial composition. She includes:
mining and chemical industry (extraction of raw materials: sulfur, apatites, phosphorites, salts);
basic chemistry (production of salts, acids, alkalis, mineral fertilizers);
chemistry of organic synthesis (production of polymers - plastics, synthetic rubber, chemical fibers);
other industries (household chemicals, perfumery, microbiology, etc.).
Placement factors:

  • For mining and chemical industry, the natural resource factor is the determining factor,
  • for basic and organic synthesis chemistry - consumer, water and energy.

Stands out 4 major regions chemical industry:
Foreign Europe(Germany is in the lead);
North America(USA);
East and Southeast Asia(Japan, China, Newly industrialized countries);
CIS(Russia · Ukraine · Belarus).

Analyzing the fuel and energy balance for some historical period, it should be noted that the world fuel industry has gone through several stages in its development:

  • coal stage (first half of the 20th century);
  • oil and gas stage (from the second half of the 20th century).

Oil production in the world in 1950 - 2000. increased almost 7 times (from 0.5 to 3.5 billion tons). The oil industry is one of the most monopolized extractive industries. Apart from a few countries where oil production is controlled state companies, the industry is completely controlled by the largest TNCs and Western European countries. In contrast, oil exporters created an organization fighting for the right to dispose of oil on their territory and controlling over half of its production.

Before World War 2, 80% of oil was produced by the North. and , where the United States stood out (over half of the world's production) and . But after the war with the discovery large deposits America's share of oil in the Near and Middle East, as well as in the USSR, began to decline rapidly (2000 - 21%). Now it produces the bulk of oil (up to 38%). The shares of individual leading countries in production in 2000 (USA or ) did not exceed 12 - 13%. USSR in the late 80s. reached the maximum level of oil production among all oil-producing states - 624 million tons (20% of world production), which no country has surpassed.

Oil is one of the most important export commodities in world trade. Half of all oil produced is exported (over 1.5 billion tons). Its most important suppliers are the countries of the Near and Middle East. The vast majority of exported oil is transported in tankers along sea routes. The largest flow through pipelines comes from Russia to many countries in Western and Eastern Europe. And although the share of oil has decreased slightly, it remains in first place in terms of global energy consumption.

Natural Gas Industry

Natural gas production in the second half of the 20th century. increased 11 times (from 0.2 to 2.3 trillion m3). This allowed it to approach (about 24%) in the structure of consumption of primary energy sources. At the same time, in terms of explored resources (almost 150 billion tons or 145 trillion m3), natural gas is comparable to oil. To this should be added the associated resources oil gas associated with oil fields.

By 1990, Eastern became the leader in production, with the USSR playing the leading role. Significant gas production emerged in Western Europe and Asia. The result was a change in the geography of the world. The USA lost its monopoly position, and its share decreased to 1/4, and the USSR became the leader (it has now retained its leadership). Russia and the United States concentrate half of the world's natural gas. Russia remains stable and the world's most important gas exporter.

Coal industry

Oil industry

Gas industry

Gas is produced in 60 countries, with Russia, the USA, and the leaders.
The main problems of the fuel industry are:

  • depletion of fuel reserves (according to experts, proven coal reserves will last for about 240 years, oil - for 50 years, gas - 65);
  • environmental disruption during fuel extraction and transportation;
  • territorial gap between the main production areas and consumption areas.

To solve these problems, new resource-saving technologies are being developed and new deposits are being searched.

Electric power industry of the world

Share various types stations in energy production in different countries is not the same, as thermal power plants predominate in the Netherlands, Poland, South Africa, China, Mexico, and Italy. A significant share of hydroelectric power plants is located in Norway, Brazil, Canada. In the late 80s, nuclear power plants were actively built and operating. During this period they were built in 30 countries around the world. A significant share of energy at nuclear power plants is generated in France, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, and.

The main problems of the electric power industry are:

  • depletion of primary energy resources and their rise in price;
  • environmental pollution.

The solution to the problem is to use energy, such as:

  • geothermal (already used in Iceland, Italy, France, Japan, USA);
  • solar (, Spain, Japan, USA);
  • (France, Russia, China, jointly Canada and the USA);
  • (, Sweden, Germany, UK, Netherlands).

Metallurgical industry of the world: composition, location, problems.

Metallurgy– one of the main basic industries, providing other industries with structural materials (ferrous and non-ferrous metals).

For quite a long time, the size of metal smelting almost primarily determined the economic power of any country. And all over the world they were growing rapidly. But in the 70s of the 20th century, the growth rate of metallurgy slowed down. But steel remains the main structural material in the world.

Metallurgy includes all processes from ore mining to the production of finished products. The metallurgical industry includes two branches: ferrous and non-ferrous.

world: meaning, composition, placement features, environmental problems.

Chemical industry is one of the vanguard industries ensuring economic development in the era of scientific and technological revolution. The development of the entire economy depends on its development, since it provides other industries with new materials - mineral fertilizers and plant protection products, and the population with a variety of household chemicals.

The chemical industry has a complex industrial composition. It includes:

  • mining (extraction of raw materials: sulfur, apatites, phosphorites, salts);
  • basic chemistry (production of salts, acids, alkalis, mineral fertilizers);
  • chemistry of organic synthesis (production of polymers - plastics, synthetic rubber, chemical fibers);
  • other industries (household chemicals, perfumery, microbiology, etc.).
  • The placement features are determined by a combination of various factors.

For mining chemistry - the determining factor is natural resource, for basic and organic synthesis chemistry - consumer, water and energy.

There are 4 large regions:

  • Foreign Europe (Germany leads);
  • North America (USA);
  • East and Southeast Asia (Japan, China, Newly Industrialized Countries);
  • CIS (Russia, Ukraine, ).

In production individual species The following countries are leading in chemical production:

  • in the production of sulfuric acid - USA, Russia, China;
  • in the production of mineral fertilizers - USA, China, Russia;
  • in the production of plastics - USA, Japan, Germany;
  • in the production of chemical fibers - USA, Japan, ;
  • in the production of synthetic rubber - USA, Japan, France.

The chemical industry has a significant impact on nature. On the one hand, the chemical industry has a wide raw material base that allows it to recycle waste and actively use secondary raw materials, which contributes to a more economical use of natural resources. In addition, it creates substances that are used for chemical purification of water, air, plant protection, and restoration.

On the other hand, it itself is one of the most “dirty” industries that affects all components of the natural environment, which requires regular environmental protection measures.

Industry is a branch of production that includes the processing of raw materials, the development of subsoil, the creation of means of production and consumer goods. This is the main branch of the sphere of material production. Industry produces: means of production, consumer goods, processes agricultural raw materials, ensures the operation of all sectors of the economy, determines the defense power of the country, and ensures scientific and technological progress.

An industrial sector is a set of organizations, enterprises, institutions producing homogeneous goods and services, using similar technologies, satisfying needs that are similar in nature.

Classification of industrial sectors is a list of industrial sectors approved in accordance with the established procedure, ensuring comparability of indicators for planning, accounting and analysis of industrial development.

There are several classifications:

    Division of industry into groups A and B: industry of group A (means of production), industry of group B (consumer goods).

    Division of the industry into heavy and light.

    According to the nature of the impact on the subject, industry is divided into two groups: extractive (extraction and preparation of raw materials) and manufacturing (processing of raw materials and production of finished products).

    Industry classification: electric power industry, fuel industry, ferrous metallurgy, non-ferrous metallurgy, chemical industry, mechanical engineering and metalworking, forest industry, industry building materials, light industry, food industry.

The sectoral structure of industry characterizes the level of industrial and technical development of the country, the degree of its economic independence and the level of productivity of social labor.

When analyzing the sectoral structure of industry, it is advisable to consider not only its individual sectors, but also groups of industries that represent inter-industry complexes.

An industrial complex is understood as a set of certain groups of industries, which are characterized by the production of similar (related) products or the performance of work (services).

Currently, industries are united into the following complexes: fuel and energy, metallurgical, chemical, timber, mechanical engineering, agro-industrial, construction complex, military-industrial (sometimes separated separately).

The fuel and energy complex (FEC) includes the fuel industry (coal, gas, oil, shale industries) and electric power (hydropower, thermal, nuclear, etc.). All these industries are united common goal– meeting the needs of the national economy for fuel, heat, and electricity.

The metallurgical complex (MC) is an integrated system of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy industries.

The mechanical engineering complex is a combination of branches of mechanical engineering, metalworking and repair production. The leading branches of the complex are general mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and radio electronics, transport engineering, as well as computer production.

The chemical complex is an integrated system of the chemical and petrochemical industries.

The timber industry complex is an integrated system of forestry, woodworking, pulp and paper and wood chemical industries.

The agro-industrial complex (AIC) can be considered as a set of technologically and economically related units of the national economy, the end result of which is the most complete satisfaction of the population's needs for food and non-food products produced from agricultural raw materials. Includes agriculture (crop growing, livestock farming), as well as light and food industries.

The construction complex includes a system of construction industries and the building materials industry.

The military-industrial complex (MIC) is represented by industries and activities (primarily R&D) aimed at meeting the needs of the Armed Forces.

OKONH distinguished the following enlarged industries:

    Electric power industry

    Fuel industry

    Ferrous metallurgy

    Non-ferrous metallurgy

    Chemical and petrochemical industry

    Mechanical engineering and metalworking

    Forestry, wood processing and pulp and paper industries

    Construction materials industry

    Glass and porcelain industry

    Light industry

    Food industry

    Microbiological industry

    Flour-grinding and feed industry

    Medical industry

    Printing industry.

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