(a) Give an example of a (i) light industry? (ii) heavy industry? (b) Describe any four characteristics of each type of industry (c) Explain any three favou...

(a) Examples

• (i) Light industry: textile manufacturing (or soap-making, food processing, electronics assembly, shoe-making).
• (ii) Heavy industry: iron and steel production (or petroleum refining, cement manufacture, shipbuilding, vehicle assembly).

(b) Four characteristics of each type

Light industry

• Uses light, small and easily handled raw materials and produces small, finished consumer goods.
• Requires relatively little capital and space to set up.
• Employs a large amount of labour, often semi-skilled.
• Its factories are market-oriented, often located near towns and consumers; causes little pollution.

Heavy industry

• Uses large, bulky and heavy raw materials and produces heavy, often intermediate goods (steel, machinery).
• Requires very large capital investment and much space.
• Depends heavily on power, machinery and advanced technology rather than labour numbers.
• It is usually raw-material or power-oriented, located near mineral fields, ports or energy sources, and tends to cause more pollution.

(c) Three favourable factors for the location of an industry (e.g. iron and steel, a heavy industry)

• Nearness to raw materials: location close to iron ore, coal/coke and limestone reduces the high cost of transporting bulky, weight-losing materials.
• Availability of power/energy: steady supply of electricity, coal or gas is needed to run the heavy machinery and furnaces.
• Good transport and market: access to railways, roads or ports allows raw materials to be brought in and the heavy finished products to be moved to markets cheaply.
• Availability of capital and labour: large funds and skilled workers are needed to establish and run the plant.