SPI Geography · World and Human Geography
Resources, Industry and World Places
The kinds of resources, what decides where a factory is built, the four ways we carry people and goods, and a few countries and peaks that come up by name.
Why this matters
Six questions in the bank, five EASY and one MODERATE, and each is a single fact: a word for a kind of resource, the odd one out among the factors of industry, the right mode of transport, a country's nickname or the country a peak stands in.
Concept 1 of 4: Kinds of resources
Anything that has a use for us is a resource. Geography sorts resources in a few different ways at once: by who made them, by whether they run out, and by where they are found. One resource can carry several labels, so read which way the question is sorting.
Definition
- Natural resources come from nature (air, water, soil, minerals). Human made resources are built by people (buildings, roads, machines, and technology too).
- Renewable resources are replaced quickly (sunlight, wind, forests). Non renewable ones run out once used (coal, petroleum, natural gas).
- Ubiquitous resources are found everywhere (air). Localised resources are found only in some places (copper, iron ore).
- Actual resources have been surveyed and are being used. Potential resources exist but are not used yet, such as the uranium found in Ladakh.
- Human resources are people. People are called the greatest resource because their knowledge, skill and technology turn the materials of nature into useful things.
| Way of sorting | Kind | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Who made it | Natural | Water, soil, minerals |
| Who made it | Human made | Bridges, machines, technology |
| Does it run out | Renewable | Sunlight, wind, forests |
| Does it run out | Non renewable | Coal, petroleum, natural gas |
| Where it is found | Ubiquitous | Air |
| Where it is found | Localised | Copper, iron ore |
| How far it is developed | Actual | Coal being mined today |
| How far it is developed | Potential | Uranium in Ladakh |
Renewable and localised answer different questions: one is about running out, the other about where.
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a practice question:
Practice questionEasy
Example 1 · World and Human Geography · Resources, Industry and World Places
Name the resources that are found everywhere like the air we breathe.
Answering renewable when the question asks where
Air is renewable, but a question about resources found everywhere is sorting by place, and the word it wants is ubiquitous.
Thinking numbers make people a resource
People are not a resource because there are many of them or because they live everywhere. They are a resource because of their knowledge, skill and technology.
Concept 2 of 4: Where industries are set up and how goods move
A factory is built where it can get what it needs and sell what it makes. Once made, goods and people travel by road, rail, water or air, and each mode suits a different job.
Definition
- The factors that decide where an industry is set up are raw material, land, water, labour, power, capital, transport and market.
- Weather such as rainfall is not one of these factors.
- The four modes of transport are roads, railways, waterways and airways.
- Airways are the fastest and the most costly, and they reach far countries and remote places quickly.
- Waterways are the cheapest way to carry heavy and bulky goods over long distances.
| Mode of transport | Best for |
|---|---|
| Roads | Short distances, door to door |
| Railways | Heavy goods and many passengers over long distances on land |
| Waterways | The cheapest way to carry heavy, bulky goods |
| Airways | The fastest way, across oceans and to other countries |
The eight factors of industrial location: raw material, land, water, labour, power, capital, transport, market.
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a practice question:
Practice questionEasy
Example 2 · World and Human Geography · Resources, Industry and World Places
Which one of the following factors does not affect industrial location?
Calling the cheapest mode the fastest
Airways are the fastest but the most costly. Waterways are the cheapest for heavy goods but slow.
Counting weather as a factor of location
Rainfall is not one of the eight factors of industrial location. Water is a factor, because many industries use a lot of it, but the factor is a supply of water, not the weather.
Concept 3 of 4: Countries known by a nickname
Some countries are known by a phrase that describes them: where the sun rises, a sun that never sets in summer, a land of many lakes. Each nickname comes from something true about the place.
Definition
- Japan is the Land of the Rising Sun: it lies at the far east of Asia, where the day begins.
- Norway is the Land of the Midnight Sun: in its far north the sun does not set for weeks in summer.
- Finland is the Land of a Thousand Lakes.
- Bhutan is the Land of the Thunder Dragon.
| Nickname | Country |
|---|---|
| Land of the Rising Sun | Japan |
| Land of the Midnight Sun | Norway |
| Land of a Thousand Lakes | Finland |
| Land of the Thunder Dragon | Bhutan |
| Land of the Morning Calm | Korea |
| Land of White Elephants | Thailand |
| Pearl of the Indian Ocean | Sri Lanka |
| Gift of the Nile | Egypt |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a practice question:
Practice questionEasy
Example 3 · World and Human Geography · Resources, Industry and World Places
Out of the following which is known as ‘Land of Rising Sun’?
Mixing up Rising Sun and Midnight Sun
The Rising Sun is Japan, in the far east. The Midnight Sun is Norway, in the far north, where summer nights stay light.
Mixing up Morning Calm and Rising Sun
Both nicknames are about the start of the day in East Asia, but the Land of the Morning Calm is Korea, not Japan.
Concept 4 of 4: Famous peaks and the countries they stand in
Most of the world's highest peaks are in the Himalayas, and many of them are in Nepal. A few famous peaks of other continents are worth knowing too.
Definition
- Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world, is in Nepal on its border with China (Tibet).
- Annapurna and Dhaulagiri are in Nepal.
- Kangchenjunga stands on the border of India (Sikkim) and Nepal.
- Nanda Devi is in Uttarakhand, India.
- Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, is in Tanzania.
| Peak | Country | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Everest | Nepal (border with China) | Himalayas |
| Annapurna | Nepal | Himalayas |
| Dhaulagiri | Nepal | Himalayas |
| Kangchenjunga | India (Sikkim) and Nepal | Himalayas |
| Nanda Devi | India (Uttarakhand) | Himalayas |
| Kilimanjaro | Tanzania | Highest peak of Africa |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a practice question:
Practice questionEasy
Example 4 · World and Human Geography · Resources, Industry and World Places
Annapurna is located in
Placing every Himalayan peak in India
The Himalayas run through several countries. Everest, Annapurna and Dhaulagiri are in Nepal; Nanda Devi is in India.
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
A revision cheat-sheet for the formulas and gotchas above. Click any concept name to jump back to its full explanation.
Reference tables (4)
Kinds of resources8 rows
| Way of sorting | Kind | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Who made it | Natural | Water, soil, minerals |
| Who made it | Human made | Bridges, machines, technology |
| Does it run out | Renewable | Sunlight, wind, forests |
| Does it run out | Non renewable | Coal, petroleum, natural gas |
| Where it is found | Ubiquitous | Air |
| Where it is found | Localised | Copper, iron ore |
| How far it is developed | Actual | Coal being mined today |
| How far it is developed | Potential | Uranium in Ladakh |
Renewable and localised answer different questions: one is about running out, the other about where.
Where industries are set up and how goods move4 rows
| Mode of transport | Best for |
|---|---|
| Roads | Short distances, door to door |
| Railways | Heavy goods and many passengers over long distances on land |
| Waterways | The cheapest way to carry heavy, bulky goods |
| Airways | The fastest way, across oceans and to other countries |
The eight factors of industrial location: raw material, land, water, labour, power, capital, transport, market.
Countries known by a nickname8 rows
| Nickname | Country |
|---|---|
| Land of the Rising Sun | Japan |
| Land of the Midnight Sun | Norway |
| Land of a Thousand Lakes | Finland |
| Land of the Thunder Dragon | Bhutan |
| Land of the Morning Calm | Korea |
| Land of White Elephants | Thailand |
| Pearl of the Indian Ocean | Sri Lanka |
| Gift of the Nile | Egypt |
Famous peaks and the countries they stand in6 rows
| Peak | Country | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Everest | Nepal (border with China) | Himalayas |
| Annapurna | Nepal | Himalayas |
| Dhaulagiri | Nepal | Himalayas |
| Kangchenjunga | India (Sikkim) and Nepal | Himalayas |
| Nanda Devi | India (Uttarakhand) | Himalayas |
| Kilimanjaro | Tanzania | Highest peak of Africa |
Watch out for (7)
- Answering renewable when the question asks where→ Kinds of resources
- Thinking numbers make people a resource→ Kinds of resources
- Calling the cheapest mode the fastest→ Where industries are set up and how goods move
- Counting weather as a factor of location→ Where industries are set up and how goods move
- Mixing up Rising Sun and Midnight Sun→ Countries known by a nickname
- Mixing up Morning Calm and Rising Sun→ Countries known by a nickname
- Placing every Himalayan peak in India→ Famous peaks and the countries they stand in
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