Chapter 7 Tertiary and Quaternary Activities
Chapter 7 Tertiary and Quaternary Activities
• Travel agents see that people are usually looking for one of three different
kinds of vacations:
• Climate oriented (skiing & sun bathing are at opposite extremes but both
rely on climate)
• Landscape oriented (some people like to view the sites)
• Culture oriented (cultural land marks are of interest to people ex. Athens)
factors that affect the location
of a quaternary activity
• The quaternary sector of the economy is a
specialized part of the Tertiary Sector.
• QUATERNARY activity refers to activities
which involve the collection, recoding,
arranging, storage, retrieval, exchange,
and dissemination of information.
• Computers, Cell Phones, E-mail, and the
WWW are some of the examples of new
information technology which drives the
quaternary sector.
Factors Affecting Location of
Quaternary Activity
• People & Infrastructure:
• Populations of people concentrated in an
area makes the information sector viable.
• Think about the areas that can avail of digital
cell phone service, high speed Internet
connection.
• Historically, information technology like
cable TV, telephones, and Radio flourished in
areas where there was a population large
enough to support them.
Factors Affecting Location of Quaternary
Activity
• Infrastructure is required for the communication of
information.
• The infrastructure has been closely linked to
populated areas. Interestingly enough the
development of infrastructure is changing so much
and decreasing in price to the point it may change the
patterns of infrastructure.
• Lesser developed nations currently do not have much
access.
• However, Lesser developed nations are not tied to the
old and outdated infrastructure.
• This might be the time for lesser developed nations to
build infrastructure and increase their share of the
information technology market.
Factors Affecting Mass
Communications Patterns.
• In the telesphere of global
communications there are islands and
continents of activity and there are
deserts or areas where there is no
activity because there is no connectivity.
• The areas of connectivity are closely
associated with development and you
will see that in your readings and
activity.
Mass Communication Affects
Workplace Location.
• As more and more people work in
the information sector we may see a
trend towards reducing urbanization.
• People would not be tied to an office
building if they could work at home.
• Maybe they could work at home on
the country farm and submit work
electronically.
Mass Communication Affects
Workplace Location
• Businesses need not be located
physically near other businesses as
we saw with the agglomerating
tendency of the manufacturing sector.
• If Infrastructure improves to the point
it overcomes distances information
technology will be a new source of
employment and economic activity in
rural depressed regions.
the economic importance of
the tertiary sector
• Economists recognize that the tertiary industry
has expanded significantly in the last 100
years.
• In Canada the tertiary sector of the economy
has grown from 36% of GNP - 73% of GNP
over the last 100 years.
• A quick survey of any high school class will
reveal that students are expressing a
preference for a career choice in Tertiary
activity
the economic importance of the tertiary
sector