Industry Sectors
The economy is divided into primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary sectors, and richer countries have more tertiary jobs.
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The economy is divided into primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary sectors, and richer countries have more tertiary jobs.
- Primary extracts raw materials
- Secondary manufactures goods
- Tertiary provides services
🧠 Quick quiz
Three questions. Score 2 or more to complete the topic.
What is Industry Sectors?
Within Geography, which covers maps, landforms, weather, climate, population and settlements: understand how our planet and people connect, this topic explains Industry Sectors. Geography explains how places, people and natural processes connect, so each topic here combines a clear definition with a visual model.
Check that you can explain Industry Sectors in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.
Understanding Industry Sectors helps you explain patterns on maps and in the news, and make reasoned decisions about places and environments.
Industry Sectors in detail
Economic activities are classified into sectors. Primary industries extract raw materials, such as farming, fishing, mining and forestry. Secondary industries manufacture and process goods, such as car and food manufacturing and construction. Tertiary industries provide services, such as retail, healthcare, education and banking.
The quaternary sector includes knowledge-based work such as research, IT and development. As countries develop, employment shifts from primary toward secondary and then tertiary and quaternary sectors, shown on triangular graphs. LICs have most people in the primary sector, whereas HICs have most in services.
How the interactive helps you understand Industry Sectors
Watch the pie chart in the interactive. Use any sliders or buttons it offers to change the values and see how the pie chart responds.
Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of Industry Sectors.
Real-life uses and examples
- Support an answer about Industry Sectors with a named case study and specific evidence.
- Interpret a graph or map that shows Industry Sectors and say what it suggests.
- Describe a real place where Industry Sectors can be seen, using a map or photograph.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Writing general statements without a named place or example.
- Mixing up cause, effect and consequence when you explain Industry Sectors.
- Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.
Frequently asked questions about Industry Sectors
What is Industry Sectors?
The economy is divided into primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary sectors, and richer countries have more tertiary jobs.
What are the most important points about Industry Sectors?
The main points are: Primary extracts raw materials; Secondary manufactures goods; Tertiary provides services.
Why is Industry Sectors useful?
Understanding Industry Sectors helps you explain patterns on maps and in the news, and make reasoned decisions about places and environments.
How can I practise Industry Sectors?
Open the interactive at the top of this page and change the controls one at a time. Predict the result before each change, then take the three-question quiz. A score of two or more marks the topic as complete on this device.
Which topics are related to Industry Sectors?
Related topics in Geography include Food Security, Wildfires and Droughts, Deforestation.