GEOG 102 Economic Geography Atlas Exercise

Agriculture is a primary economic activity that has created specific crop production regions. With this part of exercise we are going to explore the geography of the foods you eat. Let’s begin by exploring dessert. First identify 5 plants that are ingredients in some of your favorite desserts. If you are uncertain, look at the list of ingredients on the package. Look at maps on p. 59-64 to determine the locations where these dessert ingredients are grown.

1. Plant __ Locations____________________ _____________________

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

Now let’s look at the foods we eat in between our helpings of dessert. Similar to above, identify 5 plants or animals that are ingredients in some of your favorite foods. If you are uncertain, look at the list of ingredients on the package. Look at maps on p. 59-64 to determine the locations where these ingredients are produced.

2. Plant /Animal ___Locations_________ __________________________

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

Secondary economic activity is essentially manufacturing.  Secondary economic activities add value to raw materials and other manufactured materials by changing their form to create more useful and valuable products.  The increase in value explains why many secondary economic activities are called “value-added” activities.  For example, I have a friend who is a cabinetmaker.  He adds value to boards by converting them into cabinets.

While the locations of primary economic activities (mining, forestry, agriculture) are largely determined by physical geography (climate, soil, vegetation and geology), manufacturing is more independent.  Manufacturing locations are influenced by several factors that can change rapidly: transportation, energy supply, labor supply, labor costs, fuel costs, tariffs, political stability.

3. The most productive manufacturing is mechanized.  Machines run on energy.  Where does energy come from? Use the maps between p. 73-75 to identify the geographical distribution of different energy sources.

Energy source (Reserves)                      Leading sources (List top 3 countries)________________________________________

Coal:___________________________________________________________ ____________________________

Petroleum:___________________________________________________________________________________

Natural gas: _________________________________________________________________________________

Uranium: ____________________________________________________________________________________

Hydroelectric capability: ________________________________________________________________________

4.  Now let’s look at which countries lead in the production of these energy sources.

Energy source (Production)                    Leading sources (List top 3 countries)_______________________________________

Coal:_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Petroleum:_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Natural gas: ___________________________________________________________________________________________

Uranium: _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Hydroelectric capability: _________________________________________________________________________________

 5. The structural skeleton of manufacturing has been steel and aluminum.  Which 4 countries lead in the production of raw steel (p. 71)?

Which 5 countries lead in iron ore production?  (p. 70)? ________________________________________________________

Do these countries lead in production of steel?  ____________________  Why? Or, why not? ___________________________

What has happened to the US’s share of steel production during the past 60 years? ___________________________________

Why? ________________________________________________________________________________________________

6.  Which 4 countries lead in the production of aluminum (p. 68)? _________________________________________________

What ore is the basic ingredient of aluminum (Google it.)? ____________________________________ 

What four countries lead in their reserves of this ore? __________________________________________________________

Do these countries lead in production of aluminum?  ____________________  Why? Or Why not? _______________________

What map might help you explain this? _____________________________________________________________________

7. Please turn to p. 107.  This map gives us some idea in which sector of the economy US workers participate. Which pie slice is biggest in each of the cities represented?  ____________________________________________________________________

Is this primary economic activity? ____________________  Is this secondary economic activity? _________________________

What is it? _____________________________________________________________________________________________

What would the pie charts have looked like 30 years ago?________________________________________________________

What will it look like in 30 years? ___________________________________________________________________________

Why? ___________________________________________________________________________