Industry case studies

Seite 1

Silicon Oasis (hi-tech industry)

Background info:

California, USA

MEDC (high percentage of quaternary)

Near San Francisco bay

Reasons for location:

Near universities - R&D (Sanford University in Palo Alto)

Highly skilled workers - unis

Transport: 2 airports (San Jose), railways, 2 freeways

Flat land in San Francisco Bay

Seite 2

Karachi manufacturing?

Background info:

After independence from India in 1947, Pakistan needed steel and iron for houses, factories, infrastructure

Pakistan Steel Complex at Pipri near Karachi

35 km East of Karachi

Reasons for location:

Near shipyard - import/exports to Arabian sea or East/West to Indian ocean (2.5 km seawater channel navigable by ships (kept navigable)

Raw materials - Port Qasim - iron ore, manganese, coking coal. Makli hills provide limestone by road. Lake Halejil (50 km East)- fresh water

Site - flat, cheap land, unused land near Charo Creek

USSR provided economic assistance (technical expertise, finance, capital)

Energy - Port Qasim - highest electricity generating capacity power in country (thermal station - 21%)

Labour - both skilled and unskilled in Karachi

Market -Steel-using industry (tool making), rest to rest of Pakistan (50% in Punjab --> factories established in 1979 with Chinese finance)

Transport - Karachi (Kotri railway), metalled roads connected Pipri to main road system

Inputs:

Limestone

Iron ore

Coke

Oxygen

Water

Energy

Labour

Processes:

Oxidation

Purifying

Malting

Ore is extracted, iron extracted from ore, impurities oxidised, iron molten and again impurities oxidised, carbon added to get steel, steel into slabs, then processed to e.g. sheets or plates

Output:

Iron

Steel

Sheets

Plates

Wires

Girder

Effects:

More labour in steel mills

Pollution from steel

Profits

More skilled labour

Higher transport costs