Economic activities are the ways people earn a living from land, resources and services. SPM Geography questions ask you to classify them, explain where they are found and judge the choices around resources.
This cluster is part of SPM Geography. It has four skills, in a useful order.
What does this cluster cover?
- Classifying economic activities sorts activities by what they do.
- Explaining location factors says why an activity sits where it does.
- Comparing resource-use choices weighs different uses of the same resource.
- Interpreting transport and trade networks reads how goods move between places.
For energy and resource classification, continue to natural resources and energy choices.
One short example: a fictional coastal town
Fishermen land their catch at the town jetty each morning. That is a primary activity, taking a product directly from nature.
A plant on the edge of town cleans, freezes and packs the fish. That is a secondary activity, because it changes the raw product into something else.
Trucks carry the frozen packs to a city, and a shop sells them. Transport and retail are tertiary activities, because they provide services.
| Step | Activity | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Landing fish | Fishing | Primary |
| Freezing and packing | Processing | Secondary |
| Trucking and selling | Transport and retail | Tertiary |
The town’s location explains the chain: the sea gives the fish, the road to the city gives the market.
How do the parts connect?
Classifying tells you what kind of activity you are dealing with. Location factors explain why it is where it is. Resource choices ask what to do with a resource when there are competing uses, and networks show how the output reaches its buyers.
Who should start where?
- Unsure which category an activity belongs to: start with classifying.
- Know the categories but write thin reasons: start with location factors.
- Have to judge between options: start with resource-use choices.
- Stumble over maps and trade tables: start with transport and trade networks.
Test yourself with the economic activities practice set. For a teacher to check your answers with you, see online one-to-one Geography tuition.