The document discusses factors that affect the location of economic activities and factories. It identifies both physical factors such as access to raw materials, power sources, transportation routes, and available land, as well as human factors like the availability of labor, capital, markets, government policies, technology, employee amenities, and economies of scale. The document provides examples for some factors and poses questions to prompt thinking about how these location factors influence industrial site selection and design.

1. Factors affecting the
location of economic
activities
Key questions
What are the factors affecting economic
activities?

2. Starter
 Cut out all of the cards
 Match up with the correct definition.
 Sort into physical and human factors
 Stick in your book when correct but check with
me first!
Extension: For each one give an example.

3. Factory location

4. Physical factors
 Raw materials – the bulkier and heavier these are to transport,
the nearer a factory should be located to the raw materials.
This was even more important in times when transport was
less developed.
 Power (energy) – this is needed to work the machines in the
factory. Early industry needed to be sited near to fast-flowing
rivers or coal reserves, but, today, electricity can be
transported long distances.
 Natural routes – in the days before the railway, car or lorry,
transport was by river or horse and cart, so flat areas and river
valleys were essential.
 Site and Land – although early industry did not take up much
space at first, it did need flat land for building. As the size of

5. Human factors
 Labour – factories, and some other sectors of the
industry need large numbers of workers. Others
needed skilled employees e.g. technology-based
industries often need university graduates.
 Capital (money) – early industry depended on
wealthy people willing to risk their own money but
investment now also comes from banks and
governments.
 Markets – the size and the location of markets has
become more important than the source of raw
materials.

6. Human factors
 Government policies – as governments tend to
control most wealth, they can influence industrial
location by giving grants to help certain parts of
their country.
 Improved technology – examples include facsimile
(fax) machines, electronic mail and satellite
communications.
 Leisure facilities – in the town and countryside,
leisure facilities for employees are becoming more
important.
 Economies of scale – small units may become

7. Task
 You are in charge of a large industrial company and want to build a new
factory which will make your main product. Your job is to design the
factory before it is built so that you will have a good idea of
 what it will looklike
 what it will need in orderto be successful.
 Complete the sheet first to support yourideas - go through the 10
questions listed and record your answers in the spaces provided. When
you have finished, you should have a much clearer idea of what your
factory will be like.
 You can then start to design yourfactory but make sure that your factory
design:
 ties in with youranswers
 is fully labelled to explain yourchoices.
 Design yourfactory and draw a sketch of the site it is located in (froma bird’s eye
view) and add labels to explain why you have built it there