Secondary Activities

(Class 12 Geography – CBSE, 2025–26)

1. Introduction

Geography is not just about land and people, but also about how humans transform natural resources into useful products.

• When humans extract resources directly from nature (like farming, fishing, mining), it is called primary activities.
• When humans process raw materials into finished goods, it is called secondary activities.

👉 Secondary Activities = All activities related to manufacturing, processing, construction, and industries.

Examples:

• Turning cotton into cloth (textile industry).
• Converting iron ore into steel (iron & steel industry).
• Making bricks, houses, roads (construction industry).

🌍 Secondary activities form the backbone of economic development, because they:

• Provide employment.
• Add value to raw materials.
• Lead to industrialization and urbanization.

2. Meaning and Nature of Secondary Activities

• The word manufacturing means “to make by hand”, but today it includes all large-scale production using machines, tools, technology, and human skills.
• Secondary activities involve:
  • Processing of raw materials.
  • Assembling components.
  • Construction of buildings, dams, bridges.

Nature of Secondary Activities:

• They are value-added activities → finished products are costlier and more useful than raw materials.
• They require infrastructure (power, transport, skilled labor).
• They often lead to the growth of towns and cities (industrial towns like Jamshedpur, Detroit, Osaka).
• They form the foundation of modern economy.

3. Types of Secondary Activities

🟢 (i) Manufacturing Industry

• Large-scale production of goods using machines.
• Examples: Steel, textiles, cement, automobiles.

🟠 (ii) Cottage and Small-Scale Industries

• Traditional, small, home-based industries.
• Use local raw materials, manual labor.
• Examples: Handloom weaving, pottery, handicrafts.

🔵 (iii) Household Industries

• Small, family-run, often part-time.
• Example: Pickle making, local toys, weaving baskets.

🟣 (iv) Construction Industry

• Involves building infrastructure.
• Example: Roads, dams, houses, flyovers.

⚫ (v) Craft and Artisan Work

• Oldest form of industry.
• Example: Carpentry, blacksmithing, jewelry making.

4. Factors Affecting Location of Industries

Industries do not develop randomly. Their location depends on a combination of physical and human factors.

📌 Physical Factors:

• Raw materials → Iron & steel near coal + iron mines (Jamshedpur).
• Power supply → Hydroelectricity in Bhakra-Nangal region.
• Climate → Textile in humid areas (Mumbai).
• Water availability → Needed for cooling, processing (paper, chemicals).

📌 Human Factors:

• Labor supply → Industries near populated areas (Kanpur textiles).
• Transport & communication → Ports, railways (Mumbai, Kolkata).
• Market → Large cities provide demand.
• Government policies → Special Economic Zones (SEZs) attract industries.
• Capital investment → Money availability for setting up factories.

👉 Diagram (imagine a wheel): “Factors of Industrial Location” with raw material, power, labor, market, transport, capital as spokes.

5. Classification of Industries

Industries can be classified in many ways:

🟢 (i) Based on Size

• Large-scale → Big investment, machines, mass production (Steel, Automobile).
• Small-scale → Limited investment, local market (Handloom, Agro-processing).

🟠 (ii) Based on Ownership

• Private → Owned by individuals/companies (Tata Steel).
• Public → Government owned (BHEL, SAIL).
• Joint sector → Both public + private (Maruti-Suzuki).
• Cooperative → Owned by workers/producers (Amul Dairy).

🔵 (iii) Based on Raw Materials

• Agro-based → Cotton, sugar, jute, food processing.
• Mineral-based → Iron, steel, cement.
• Forest-based → Paper, furniture.
• Animal-based → Leather, wool, dairy.

🟣 (iv) Based on Products

• Basic/Heavy industries → Provide raw material to others (Iron & Steel, Cement).
• Consumer goods industries → Direct use products (Textiles, Food).

6. Major Industrial Regions of the World

Industries often cluster into industrial regions due to combined factors.

🌍 Important Industrial Regions:

• Western & Central Europe → Ruhr (Germany), UK Midlands, Northern France.
• North America → North-East USA (New York, Chicago, Great Lakes).
• Russia & Ukraine → Moscow, Donetsk.
• East Asia → Japan (Osaka, Tokyo), China (Shanghai, Beijing).
• South Asia → India (Mumbai–Pune, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi).

👉 These regions are linked by coal + iron ore deposits, ports, labor supply, and markets.

7. Major Industrial Regions of India

India has 8 major industrial regions:

1. Mumbai–Pune Industrial Region – Cotton textiles, chemicals, engineering.
2. Kolkata–Hooghly Region – Jute, engineering, paper.
3. Delhi–Meerut Region – Electronics, IT, automobiles.
4. Bangalore–Tamil Nadu Region – IT, textiles, silk.
5. Chota Nagpur Plateau Region – Heavy industries (steel, coal, iron).
6. Vishakhapatnam–Guntur Region – Shipbuilding, petroleum, chemicals.
7. Gujarat Industrial Region – Textiles, petrochemicals, salt.
8. Punjab–Haryana Region – Agro-based, sports goods, textiles.

8. Emerging Industrial Regions

• Silicon Valley (USA) → IT, electronics.
• Bangalore (India) → “Silicon Valley of India.”
• Shenzhen (China) → Electronics hub.
• Hyderabad → IT, Pharma.
• Dubai → Business hub with Free Economic Zones.

9. Importance of Secondary Activities

• Create employment opportunities.
• Increase national income.
• Promote urbanization.
• Help in regional development.
• Generate foreign exchange through exports.
• Encourage technological progress.

10. Problems of Industrial Development

Despite progress, industries face challenges:

🔺 Regional imbalance – Concentrated in few states.
🔺 Environmental pollution – Air, water, land pollution.
🔺 Overdependence on imports – Machinery, technology.
🔺 Labor issues – Strikes, low wages.
🔺 Infrastructure bottlenecks – Power shortages, poor transport.
🔺 Global competition – From China, developed nations.

11. Case Studies (Exam Enrichment)

📌 Case Study 1: Ruhr Industrial Region (Germany)

• Based on coal + iron ore.
• Developed into steel, chemicals, engineering hub.
• Now diversified into high-tech industries.

📌 Case Study 2: Silicon Valley (USA)

• Near San Francisco.
• Specialized in IT, software, electronics.
• Advantages: Skilled labor (Stanford University), venture capital, climate.

📌 Case Study 3: Chota Nagpur Plateau (India)

• Rich in coal & iron ore.
• Jamshedpur → Tata Steel.
• Bokaro, Durgapur → Steel plants.

📌 Case Study 4: Mumbai–Pune Industrial Belt (India)

• Cotton textile base.
• Expanded to chemicals, engineering, automobiles.
• Supported by port of Mumbai + skilled labor.

12. Key Terms for Exam

• Industrialization – Process of growth of industries.
• Agglomeration – Clustering of industries in one region.
• SEZ (Special Economic Zone) – Area with tax benefits to attract industries.
• Sunrise Industries – New tech-based industries (IT, robotics).
• Sunset Industries – Declining industries (coal mining, jute).

13. Sample Answer Frames

🟢 1 Mark Question: Define secondary activities.
👉 Activities that transform raw materials into finished products using machines, technology, and labor are called secondary activities.

🟠 3 Marks Question: Name three factors affecting industrial location.
👉 Raw material, power supply, labor availability.

🔵 5 Marks Question: Explain classification of industries by ownership.
👉 Private, Public, Joint, Cooperative → with examples (Tata Steel, BHEL, Maruti-Suzuki, Amul).

🟣 6 Marks Question: Describe the major industrial regions of India.
👉 Explain 8 regions with examples of industries.

14. Human Geography Linkages

Secondary activities are closely related to:

• Primary sector → Raw material supply.
• Tertiary sector → Transport, trade, services.
• Quaternary sector → Research, IT support.

Thus, industries are the bridge between natural resources and economic development.

Conclusion

Secondary activities are the driving force of industrialization and modernization. They convert raw materials into useful products, generate employment, increase income, and promote balanced development.

However, challenges like pollution, regional imbalance, and competition must be addressed through sustainable industrial policies.