Industry in the world economy. Geography of global industry

The chemical industry is a type of industry in which the processing of raw materials by chemical methods is of key importance. The main materials used in this industry are various minerals and petroleum. The role of the chemical industry in the modern world is very great. Thanks to it, people can use various plastic and plastic products, as well as other petroleum products. In addition, the industry produces explosives, fertilizers for agricultural needs, medicines, and so on.

Development

The beginning of the history of this industry is considered to be the industrial revolution, which occurred at the beginning of the 17th century. Until the 16th century, the “science of substances” generally developed very slowly, but as soon as people learned to apply this knowledge in industry, much changed. The very first product of the chemical industry was sulfuric acid, which today remains an extremely important substance and is used in many areas of human activity. At that time, this compound was mainly used in the processing of metal ores needed for the industrial revolution in large quantities. The first enterprises for the production of sulfuric acid were created in England, France and Russia.

The second stage in the development of this area was the need for mass production of soda ash. This substance was necessary to ensure the production of glass and textiles.

At the first stage, England made the largest contribution to the development of the industry. With increasing interest in organic chemistry, Germany had an increasing influence on the development of this science, whose scientists are still considered one of the best specialists in this field. At the beginning of the 20th century, most of the chemical production was located in this country, which, according to some analysts, provided German leaders with confidence in victory in the First World War due to the high quality of explosives and promising research into chemical weapons. By the way, it was German troops who used chemical warfare gas for the first time.

Chemical industries

Nowadays, both inorganic and organic chemistry are relevant, and many discoveries are made in these areas every year. The most promising developments are:

• Oil refining.
• Creation of medicines.
• Creation of fertilizers.
• Creation of polymers and plastics.
• Study of the conductive properties of substances.

Scientists have been working on creating an ideal conductor for several decades. If successful, humanity will be able to use the planet's resources much more efficiently.

Chemical industry in Russia

Petrochemistry

Petrochemistry is a key branch of the chemical industry in Russia. This is largely due to the extremely important role of the oil refining industry in the country's economy. Educational institutions annually graduate tens of thousands of petrochemical specialists. The government also allocates a lot of money to sponsor research in this area.

The annual sales volume of all petrochemical production is more than 500 billion rubles.

Ammonia production

Togliattiazot is one of the leading ammonia producers in the world. Recently, the company has been producing more than 3 million tons of gas per year, this is an exceptionally high figure. According to experts, the share of this company in global ammonia production ranges from 8 to 10%; the company also produces mineral fertilizers and occupies about 20% of the Russian market in this sector.

Fertilizer production

An important part of the industry is the production of fertilizers. On the territory of Russia there are very large deposits of raw materials for this industry. The production of resources to create chemical fertilizers is also well developed. During the Soviet era, the best scientists worked on increasing the efficiency of fertilizers, making many fundamental discoveries in this area. Thanks to this, Russia is one of the most important exporters of fertilizers.

Pharmaceutical industry

The production of medicines and their components is a very promising area. Currently, this industry does not cover Russian needs, and the creation of many drugs has not even been established. Therefore, every year foreign investors, including large chemical concerns, invest in the development of this industry. Nevertheless, a significant increase in production volumes and product quality, according to analysts, will occur in ten years at best.

Chemical industry in the world

The chemical industry is most developed in Germany, Great Britain and the USA. That is, among European countries, the most advanced are usually states that have made a certain contribution to the development of chemistry as a science. In the case of the United States, this is due to favorable conditions for the development of chemistry and pharmacology: a good economic situation, the presence of large raw material resources and a developed transport system, and luring the best specialists from other countries.

In particular, the top five concerns with the highest profits include 2 companies from Germany, 2 from the UK and one from the USA.

Fuel industry - includes all processes of extraction and primary processing of fuel. Includes: oil, gas, coal industries.

Stages of development:

1. coal stage (first half of the 20th century);
2. oil and gas stage (from the second half of the 20th century).

Coal industry Places of production - China (field - Fu-Shun), USA, Russia (Kuzbass), Germany (Ruhr), Poland, Ukraine, Kazakhstan (Karaganda).
Coal exporters are the USA, Australia, South Africa.
Importers - Japan, Western Europe.
Oil industry. Oil is produced in 75 countries of the world, the leaders are Saudi Arabia, Russia, the USA, Mexico, the UAE, Iran, Iraq, and China.
Gas industry. Gas is produced in 60 countries, with Russia, the USA, Canada, Turkmenistan, the Netherlands, and the UK leading.

Problems of the fuel industry:

• depletion of mineral fuel reserves (coal reserves will last for about 240 years, oil - for 50 years, gas - 65);
• environmental disruption during fuel extraction and transportation;
• territorial gap between the main production areas and consumption areas.

Electric power industry of the world
Role
- providing electricity to other sectors of the economy.
Leaders in production- Norway (29 thousand kWh), Canada (20), Sweden (17), USA (13), Finland (11 thousand kWh), with a world average of 2 thousand. kW. h.
The lowest rates are in Africa, China and India.
Thermal power plants predominate in the Netherlands, Poland, South Africa, Romania, China, Mexico, and Italy.
Hydroelectric power stations - in Norway, Brazil, Canada, Albania, Ethiopia.
Nuclear power plants - in France, Belgium, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain.

The main problems of the electric power industry are:

• depletion of primary energy resources and their rise in price;
• environmental pollution.

The solution to the problem is to use non-traditional energy sources, such as:

• geothermal (already used in Iceland, Italy, France, Hungary, Japan, USA);
• solar (France, Spain, Italy, Japan, USA);
• tidal (France, Russia, China, jointly Canada and the USA);
• wind (Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands).

Metallurgical industry

Metallurgy is one of the basic industries, providing other industries with structural materials (ferrous and non-ferrous metals).
Composition- two industries: ferrous and non-ferrous.
Ferrous metallurgy. Iron ore is mined in 50 countries around the world.
Placement factors:
Natural resource (focus on territorial combinations of coal and iron deposits);
Transport (focus on cargo flows of coking coal and iron ore);
Consumer (related to the development of mini-plants and pigment metallurgy). The leaders in iron ore production are China, Brazil, Australia, Russia, Ukraine, and India. But in terms of steel production - Japan, Russia, USA, China, Ukraine, Germany.

Non-ferrous metallurgy.

Placement factors:

• raw materials (smelting heavy metals from ores with a low content of useful components (1 - 2%) - copper, tin, zinc, lead);
• energy (smelting light metals from rich ore - energy-intensive production - aluminum, titanium, magnesium, etc.);
• transport (delivery of raw materials);
• consumer (use of recycled materials).

The greatest development is Russia, China, USA, Canada, Australia, Brazil. In Japan and European countries - on imported raw materials.
The leaders in copper smelting are Chile, the USA, Canada, Zambia, Peru, and Australia. The main exporters of aluminum are Canada, Norway, Australia, Iceland, and Switzerland. Tin is mined in East and Southeast Asia. Lead and zinc are smelted in the USA, Japan, Canada, Australia, Germany and Brazil.

Forestry and wood processing industry

Includes: logging, primary forest processing, pulp and paper industry and furniture production.

Placement factor- raw material factor.

It is characterized by the presence of two forest belts.

Within the northern region, coniferous wood is harvested and processed into wood boards, cellulose, paper, and cardboard. For Russia, Canada, Sweden, and Finland, this industry has become an area of ​​international specialization.

Within the southern forest belt, deciduous trees are harvested. Here we can highlight Brazil, the countries of Southeast Asia and tropical Africa. To make paper in the countries of the southern belt, non-wood raw materials are often used - jute, sisal, reed.
The main importers of wood are Japan, Western European countries, and partly the USA.

Light industry
Light industry meets the population's needs for fabrics, clothing, footwear, as well as other industries with specialized materials.

Light industry includes 30 large industries that are grouped together:
primary processing of raw materials;
textile industry;
clothing industry;
shoe industry.
The most important branch of light industry is textiles.

Main placement factors are:

• raw materials (for industries of primary processing of raw materials);
• consumer (for clothing and footwear);
• a combination of the first two (depending on the production stages of the textile industry).

In first place is the production of cotton fabrics (China, India, Russia). Second place - production of fabrics from chemical fiber (USA, India, Japan). The USA, Japan, and China are the leaders in the production of silk fabrics, while Russia and Italy are leaders in the production of woolen fabrics.

The main exporters are Hong Kong, Pakistan, India, Egypt, Brazil.

Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering determines the sectoral and territorial structure of industry and provides machinery and equipment to all sectors of the economy.
Main industries- electronics, electrical engineering, computer engineering, precision engineering.

The production of many types of machines requires large labor costs and highly qualified workers. Instrument making and computer production are especially labor-intensive. And other new industries. These industries also require the constant implementation of the latest scientific achievements, i.e. are knowledge-intensive.
Such production facilities are located in or near large cities. Dependence on metal sources has decreased significantly in the era of scientific and technological revolution. Mechanical engineering today is an industry with almost universal location.

Things have happened in the world 4 large mechanical engineering regions:
North America. Produces about 30% of all engineering products. Almost all types of products are present, but especially worth mentioning is the production of rocket and space technology and computers.
Foreign Europe. The volume of production is approximately the same as in North America. Produces mass production, machine tool and automotive products.
East and Southeast Asia. It stands out for its precision engineering products and precision technology products.
CIS. 10% of the total volume is allocated to heavy engineering.
Chemical industry
The chemical industry has a complex industrial composition. She includes:
mining and chemical industry (extraction of raw materials: sulfur, apatites, phosphorites, salts);
basic chemistry (production of salts, acids, alkalis, mineral fertilizers);
chemistry of organic synthesis (production of polymers - plastics, synthetic rubber, chemical fibers);
other industries (household chemicals, perfumery, microbiology, etc.).
Placement factors:

• For mining and chemical industry, the natural resource factor is the determining factor,
• for basic and organic synthesis chemistry - consumer, water and energy.

Stands out 4 major regions chemical industry:
Foreign Europe(Germany is in the lead);
North America(USA);
East and Southeast Asia(Japan, China, Newly industrialized countries);
CIS(Russia · Ukraine · Belarus).

The world economy is a set of national economies interconnected by a system of international division of labor and international economic relations; this is a historically established and gradually developing system of national economies of the countries of the world

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ABSTRACT

in the discipline "World Economy"

on the topic of:

The role of modern industry in the world economy

CONTENT

Introduction

The world economy is a set of national economies interconnected by a systeminternational division of laborand international economic relations; this is a historically established and gradually developing system of national economies of the countries of the world, interconnected by global economic relations developing on the basis of the international geographical division of labor

Industry a set of enterprises engaged in production tools for other sectors of the national and world economy and for industry itself, as well as the extraction of raw materials, materials,fuel, production energy, logging and further processing of products obtained in industry or produced inagriculture, production of consumer goods. Industry most important sectornational economy, which has a decisive impact on the level of development of the productive forces of society.

The degree of satisfaction of society's needs for products vital for all sectors of the economy and for all people, ensuring technical re-equipment and intensification of production depends on success in the development of industry. It is industrial products that guarantee the satisfaction of basic modern material social needs. World industry employs about 400 million people. Industrial goods account for 70% of world trade turnover. Therefore, the study of the place and role of modern industry in the world economy is certainly a relevant topic.

The purpose of this study is to study the role of modern industry in the world economy.To achieve the goal, the following tasks are formulated:

1. Study the theoretical foundations of industry and its branches;
2. Study the process of formation and development of various industries in the world;
3. Study development trends and the current role of industry in the world economy.

The object of this work is the world economy.The subject of this work is modern industry in the world economy.

Classification of industries

An industrial sector is a collection of business entities, regardless of their departmental affiliation and forms of ownership, that develop and (or) produce products (perform work and provide services) of certain types that have uniform consumer or functional significance.

The classification of industries is based on the following principles:

1. Economic purpose of manufactured products;
2. The nature of the functioning of products during the production process;
3. Uniformity of the raw materials used, common technological processes and technological base of production;
4. The nature of the impact on the subject of work, etc.

The most important principle for classifying industries is the economic purpose of the products produced. In accordance with this, all industry is divided into two large groups: industries producing means of production, and industries producing consumer goods.

According to the nature of the functioning of products in the production process, the entire industry is divided into sectors that produce elements of fixed assets, elements of working capital, and consumer goods. In practice, the classification of industrial sectors is widely used, providing for their unification into large complex industries according to one of the following characteristics: the intended purpose of the product, the commonality of the raw materials, the relatedness of the technology used.

The classification of industries according to the nature of their impact on the subject of labor divides them into two groups: extractive and manufacturing industries. The mining industry includes mining enterprises - for the extraction of non-ferrous and ferrous metal ores and non-metallic raw materials for metallurgy, mining chemical raw materials, oil, gas, coal, peat, shale, salt, non-metallic building materials, as well as hydroelectric power stations, forest exploitation enterprises, and fish catching and seafood production.

The manufacturing industry includes enterprises producing ferrous and non-ferrous metals, rolled metal, chemical and petrochemical products, machinery and equipment, woodworking products and the pulp and paper industry, cement and other building materials, light and food industry products, as well as thermal power plants and repair enterprises industrial products.

There is also a classification of industries, which provides for their unification into large complex industries according to one of the following characteristics: the intended purpose of the product, the commonality of the raw materials, the relatedness of the technology used. In accordance with this classification, the industry of any country can be divided into three large sectors:

1. Heavy industry (industrial sectors producing mainly means of production: tools, raw materials, fuel);
2. Light industry (set of specializedindustries producing mainly consumer goods from various types raw materials);
3. Food industry (light industry, a set of production of food products in finished form or in the form of semi-finished products).

Depending on the time of origin of the industry, industry is divided into three groups:

1. old industries that arose during industrial revolutions (coal, metallurgical and textile industries, locomotive building, etc.). These industries are growing at a slow pace these days;
   1. new industries that determined scientific and technological progress in the first half of the 20th century. (automotive industry, plastics and chemical fiber production, etc.). These industries are now growing at a faster rate;
   2. the latest industries that emerged in the era of scientific and technological revolution and related to knowledge-intensive industries (microelectronics, microbiology, robotics, etc.). These industries are called high technology industries. Today, these industries are growing at the fastest and most sustainable rates.

The sectoral classification of industry allows us to characterize intersectoral connections, the level of development of various industries, and their contribution to the gross domestic product. It is based on the International Standard Industrial Classification of all Economic Activities (ISIC). Industry classification in Russia before January 1, 2003 was determined by the All-Union Classifier of Sectors of the National Economy (OKONKh). It was replaced by the All-Russian Classifier of Types of Economic Activities (OKVED).

When analyzing the sectoral structure of an industry, it is advisable to consider not only its individual sectors, but also groups of industries that represent inter-industry complexes (these are collections of certain groups of industries, which are characterized by the production of similar or related products or the performance of work and services). Below is a table that reflects the main characteristics of intersectoral complexes.

Table 1

Composition of intersectoral industrial complexes

Name and definition of the intersectoral complex	Industries included in the complex
Fuel and energy complex(TEK)	coal industry, gas industry, oil industry, peat industry shale industry, energy, industries for the production of energy and other types of equipment.
Metallurgical complex(MK)	ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy industries, metallurgical engineering, mining engineering and repair base
Mechanical engineering complex	heavy engineering, producing metal-intensive, dimensional products; general mechanical engineering, which produces equipment with medium metal consumption, is technically relatively simple; medium mechanical engineering, which produces products with medium metal intensity and increased labor intensity; precision engineering, which produces products with low metal consumption, but high labor and science intensity; production of metal products (hardware);
Chemical-forest complex	chemical industry petrochemical industry forest industry wood industry pulp and paper industry wood chemical industry
Agricultural-industrial complex (AIC)	agricultural system processing industries feed and microbiological industry agricultural engineering mechanical engineering for light and food industries
Construction complex	system of construction industries; building materials industry mechanical engineering repair base
Social complex	textile industry; clothing industry; leather industry, fur industry, shoe industry
Military-industrial complex(VPK)	industries and activities (primarily R&D) aimed at meeting the needs of the Armed Forces

Continuation of Table 1

As can be seen from the table, there are 8 intersectoral industrial complexes. The development of a particular industry in a country determines the development of an entire inter-industry complex, characterizes the direction of the state’s economy and the direction of economic policy.

The fuel and energy complex is the basis of the world economy

There are three main stages in the development of the world's fuel and energy industry: coal, oil and gas, modern.

At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. Coal dominated industrial energy and international fuel trade. Back in 1948, the share of coal in the total consumption of main energy sources was 60%. But in the 50s and 60s. The structure of energy consumption has changed significantly, with oil taking first place at 51%, the share of coal decreased to 23%, natural gas - 21.5%, hydropower - 3%, nuclear energy - 1.5%.

These kinds of changes in the structure of energy consumption were due to the widespread development of new large sources of oil and natural gas; a number of advantages of these types of fuel over solid fuel (high efficiency of production, transportation, consumption); The scale of use of oil and natural gas not only as fuel, but also as industrial raw materials has increased.

Since the 80s. The priority direction is the transition from the use of predominantly exhaustible resources to the use of inexhaustible, non-traditional energy sources (wind, solar, tidal energy, nuclear energy, geothermal sources, hydro resources, etc.).

As a result, the share of oil in the total consumption and production of energy resources began to decline (to 38% in 2000), the value of the angle increased again (31%), and natural gas strengthened its position (23.5%). The growth in the use of hydropower, nuclear and other (alternative) energy sources is becoming increasingly noticeable.

In modern economies, oil and petroleum products are widely used both for energy purposes and as chemical raw materials.Oil refers tonon-renewable resources. Proven oil reserves in 2004 amount to 210 billion tons (1200 billion).barrels), undiscovered are estimated at 52260 billion tons (3001500 billion barrels).

World oil productioncurrently (for 2006) is about 3.8 billion tons per year, or 30 billion barrels per year.

The leading role in global oil production is played by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), which includes Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Algeria, Libya, Nigeria, Gabon, Indonesia, and Venezuela. The role of the CIS countries, primarily Russia, Azerbaijan (Absheron Peninsula, shelf and bottom of the Caspian Sea), Turkmenistan (fields in the Uzboy area), Kazakhstan (Tengiz and Karachaganak fields, Mangyshlak Peninsula, Ural-Emba basin) is also very large in global oil production.

table 2

Oil production at the world's largest fields

As can be seen from the table, the most oil is produced in the Persian Gulf (250 million tons in 2006). If we compare the indicators for 2006 and 2008, we can say that there is a tendency to increase oil production in the world economy.

The top ten largest oil producers are Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran, China, Venezuela, Mexico, UAE, Algeria, Kazakhstan, and Angola.

About half of all oil produced is exported. BesidesOPEC member countries, whose share in world oil exports is 65%, its largest suppliers to the world market are also Russia, Mexico, and Great Britain.

The sharp rise in oil prices in 20032008, as well as limited reservesoil make it urgent to develop technologies with reduced consumption of petroleum products, as well as the development of alternativegenerating capacities,not using petroleum products.

Natural gas, like oil, is used as fuel and as a raw material for the chemical industry. Natural gas is found in the ground at depths ranging from 1000 meters to several kilometers. In the depths, gas is found in microscopic voids (pores). The pores are connected to each other by microscopic channels - cracks; through these channels, gas flows from pores with high pressure to pores with lower pressure until it ends up in the well. The movement of gas in the formation obeys certain laws. Gas is extracted from the depths of the earth using wells

The world's largest natural gas producers are presented in the table:

Table 4

The world's largest gas producers

In 2005 in Russia the volume of natural gas production amounted to 548 billion m³. 307 billion m³ were supplied to domestic consumers through 220 regional gas distribution organizations. In the territoryRussia has 24 natural gas storage facilities. Length of main gas pipelines Russia is 155 thousand km.

In 2009 For the first time, the United States overtook Russia not only in the volume of gas produced (624 billion m³ versus 582.3 billion m³), ​​but also in the volume of production of commercial gas, that is, going for sale to counterparties. This is due to increased productionshale gas.

IN Environmentally, natural gas is the cleanest type of mineral fuel. When burned, it produces a significantly smaller amount of harmful substances compared to other types of fuel. However, the burning of huge amounts of different types of fuel by humanity, including natural gas, over the past half century has led to some slight increase in the content of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which isgreenhouse gas. On this basis, some scientists conclude that there is a danger of the greenhouse effect and, as a consequence, climate warming.

Metallurgical complex

Despite the declining importance of metal as a structural material, at present it still remains the basis of modern industry, and in particular mechanical engineering.

For a number of years, the world metallurgy has experienced a rather difficult period of adaptation to structural changes in the modern economy. These problems affected the ferrous metallurgy industry to the greatest extent. Over the past decades, metal conservation has sharply increased in all areas of the economy. In this regard, the specific consumption of steel products per unit of GDP decreased.

The world leader in steel production is China, whose share in the first half of 2009 amounted to 48%. According to the International Iron and Steel Institute (IISI), global steel production in 2007 was:

Table 5

World steel production in 2007

In 2008, the world produced 1 billion 329.7 million tons of steel, which is 1.2% less than in 2007. This was the first reduction in annual production over the past 11 years.

Based on the results of the first six months of 2009, steel production in 66 countries, whose share in the global steel industry is at least 98%, decreased compared to the same period of the previous year by 21.3% from 698.2 million tons to 549 .3 million tons

China increased steel production compared to the same period in 2008 by 1.2% to 266.6 million tons. In India, steel production increased by 1.3% to 27.6 million tons.

In the USA, steel production fell by 51.5%, in Japan by 40.7%, in South Korea by 17.3%, in Germany by 43.5%, in Italy by 42.8%, in France by 41.5%, in the UK by 41.8%, in Brazil by 39.5%, in Russia by 30.2%, in Ukraine by 38.8%.

In June 2009, global steel production amounted to 99.8 million tons, which is 4.1% more than in May 2009.

Great changes are taking place in the international trade of ferrous metals. Traditional exporters of ferrous metal products are Japan and EU countries. And currently they account for over half of world exports. The first place belongs to Germany.

But in recent years, the position of the Republic of Korea has been significantly strengthened, which is actively introducing itself into the markets of the USA, Japan and China. Korea is the world's largest indirect exporter of steel. So, in the 90s. The steel intensity of Korea's exports was 10 times higher than that of EU countries and 3 times higher than that of Japan. Korea, in particular, exports 60% of cars, about 90% of ships, 60% of the electrical and electronics sector.

Currently, approximately 70 different types of non-ferrous metals are produced in the world. The five “grands” are aluminum, copper, zinc, nickel, and lead. They account for St. 97-98% of total smelting. Tin, cobalt, chromium, tungsten, molybdenum and some others also occupy a prominent place.According to data for 2010, the share of non-ferrous metallurgy in Russian GDP is 2.6%, in industrial production 10.2%

The economic importance of aluminum is especially great. The world's largest bauxite mining areas, the raw material for aluminum production, are located in Northern Australia, on the York Peninsula, as well as in the Guinea region in Africa and in the Caribbean (Jamaica), etc. Aluminum production gravitates towards centers of electrical energy production.

In 2007 38 million tons of primary aluminum were produced in the world, and in2008 39.7 million tons. The production leaders were:

China (produced 12.60 million tons in 2007, and 13.50 million tons in 2008); Russia(3.96/4.20) ; Canada (3.09/3.10); USA (2.55/2.64); Australia (1.96/1.96); Brazil (1.66/1.66); India (1.22/1.30); Norway (1.30/1.10); UAE (0.89/0.92); Bahrain (0.87/0.87); South Africa (0.90/0.85); Iceland (0.40/0.79); Germany (0.55/0.59); Venezuela (0.61/0.55); Mozambique (0.56/0.55); Tajikistan (0.42/0.42).

The copper industry has developed greatly in countries with large deposits of copper ore. In first place is Chile, second place belongs to the USA. Indonesia, Australia, Canada, and Russia are also of great importance. One of the largest areas of the copper industry has developed in Central Africa. This is the so-called copper belt, 500 km long, in the territory of Zaire and Zambia. Copper ore is mined here and black and refined copper is smelted.

Russia is considered a great nickel power. It produces 24.2% of the world's nickel production. Nickel production in Canada is 186.2 thousand tons (17.8% of global production), in Australia - 124.9 thousand tons (11.9%), on the island. New Caledonia - 90.3 thousand tons (8.6%), in Indonesia - 83.9 thousand tons (8.0%).

At the present stage, attention is increasing to the smelting of rare metals (titanium, magnesium, germanium, tantalum, niobium, etc.), which are not only of purely economic importance, but also important for military-strategic purposes.

Non-ferrous metals also include gold (the main production is carried out in South Africa - 447.2 tons, the USA - 340.0 tons, Australia - 302.6 tons) and silver (the largest producers are Mexico, Peru, the USA, Australia and Chile).

Mechanical engineering is the main branch of world industry

Mechanical engineering is the main branch of world industry, accounting for about 35% of the value of world industrial output. Among industries, mechanical engineering is the most labor-intensive production. Instrument making, electrical engineering and aerospace industries, nuclear engineering and other industries that produce complex equipment are particularly labor-intensive. In this regard, one of the main conditions for the location of mechanical engineering is to provide it with a qualified workforce, the presence of a certain level of industrial culture, and scientific research and development centers.

Proximity to the raw material base is important only for some branches of heavy engineering (production of metallurgical, mining equipment, boiler making, etc.).

In the world's mechanical engineering, the dominant position is occupied by a small group of developed countries - the USA, which accounts for almost 30% of the value of engineering products, Japan - 15%, Germany - about 10%, France, Great Britain, Italy, Canada. Almost all types of modern mechanical engineering are developed in these countries, and their share in world exports of machinery is high. With an almost complete range of engineering products, a key role in the development of mechanical engineering in this group of countries belongs to the aerospace industry, microelectronics, robotics, nuclear power engineering, machine tool building, heavy engineering, and automotive industry.

The group of leaders in world mechanical engineering also includes Russia (6% of the value of mechanical engineering products), China (3%) and several small industrialized countries Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, etc. Mechanical engineering has greatly advanced in its development in developing countries.

In developed countries, mechanical engineering is based on a high level of research and development (R&D), highly qualified workforce and is focused mainly on the production of technically complex and high-quality products. The mechanical engineering industry of developing countries, based on the low cost of local labor, specializes, as a rule, in the production of mass-produced, labor-intensive, technically uncomplicated, low-quality types of products. Among the enterprises here there are many purely assembly plants that receive kits of machines in disassembled form from industrialized countries. Few developing countries have modern machine-building plants, primarily the newly industrialized ones - South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, India, Turkey, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico. The main directions of development of their mechanical engineering are the production of household electrical appliances, automotive industry, and shipbuilding.

Mechanical engineering is divided into general, including machine tool building, heavy engineering, agricultural engineering and other industries, transport engineering and electrical engineering, including electronics. The largest producers and exporters of general engineering products in general are developed countries: Germany, USA, Japan, etc. Developed countries are also the main manufacturers and suppliers of machine tools to the world market (Japan, Germany, USA, Italy and Switzerland stand out). The general engineering industry of developing countries is dominated by the production of agricultural machinery and simple equipment.

Among the branches of transport engineering, the automotive industry is developing most dynamically. The area of ​​its spatial distribution is constantly growing and currently includes, along with the traditional main car manufacturers (Japan, USA, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Great Britain, Sweden, Spain, Russia, etc.), countries that are relatively new to the industry - countries South Korea, Brazil, Argentina, China, Turkey, India, Malaysia, Poland.

Unlike the automobile industry, aircraft manufacturing, shipbuilding, and the production of railway rolling stock are experiencing stagnation. The main reason for this is the lack of demand for their products. Shipbuilding has moved from developed countries to developing countries. The largest manufacturers of ships were South Korea (ahead of Japan and took first place in the world), Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, China, and Taiwan. At the same time, the United States and Western European countries (Great Britain, Germany, etc.), as a result of the reduction in ship production, ceased to play a significant role in global shipbuilding.

The aviation industry is concentrated in countries with a high level of science and workforce qualifications: the USA, Russia, France, Great Britain, Germany, the Netherlands.

In the territorial structure of world mechanical engineering, there are four main regions: North America, foreign Europe, East and Southeast Asia and the CIS.

North America (USA, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico) accounts for approximately 1/3 of the cost of mechanical engineering products. In the international division of labor, the region acts as the largest manufacturer and exporter of highly complex machines, heavy engineering products and knowledge-intensive industries. In the United States, which occupies a leading position in the region and the world in terms of the total value of mechanical engineering products, a large role belongs to aerospace engineering, military-industrial electronics, computer production, nuclear power engineering, military shipbuilding, etc.

European countries (excluding the CIS) also account for about 1/3 of the world's mechanical engineering products. The region is represented by mechanical engineering of all types, especially distinguished by general mechanical engineering (machine tool building, production of equipment for metallurgy, textile, paper, watchmaking and other industries), electrical engineering and electronics, and transport engineering (automotive, aircraft, shipbuilding). The leader of the European mechanical engineering industry, Germany, is the largest exporter of general engineering products in the region and the world.

The region, which includes the countries of East and Southeast Asia, produces approximately a quarter of the world's mechanical engineering production. The main stimulating factor in the development of mechanical engineering in the countries of the region is the relative cheapness of labor. Leader of the region Japan the second engineering power in the world, the largest exporter of products from the most qualified industries (microelectronics, electrical engineering, aircraft engineering, robotics, etc.). Other countries China, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, etc. produce labor-intensive but less complex products (production of household electrical appliances, cars, ships, etc.) and are also very actively involved in working on the foreign market .

The CIS countries form a special region of world mechanical engineering. They have a full range of engineering production. The military-industrial complex, aviation and rocket-space industries, consumer electronics, and some simple branches of general mechanical engineering (production of agricultural machinery, metal-intensive machine tools, power equipment, etc.) have received great development here.

Outside the main machine-building regions, there are mechanical engineering centers that are quite large in scale and complexity of production structures: India, Brazil, Argentina. Their mechanical engineering mainly works for the domestic market. These countries export cars, sea vessels, bicycles, and simple types of household appliances (refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, vacuum cleaners, calculators, watches, etc.).

Chemical industry of the world

The chemical industry includes:

• mining and chemical industry (extraction of apatite and phosphorite, table and potassium salts, sulfur and other mining chemical raw materials);
• the main chemical industry producing inorganic compounds (acids, alkalis, soda, mineral fertilizers, etc.);
• industry of polymer materials (including organic synthesis), the most important branches of which are the production of synthetic rubber, synthetic resins and plastics, and chemical fibers.

The location of the chemical industry depends on many factors. The chemical industry is a very large consumer of raw materials, the unit costs of which in some cases significantly exceed the weight of the finished product (production of soda, synthetic rubber, plastics, chemical fibers, potash and nitrogen fertilizers, etc.).

In addition to a large amount of raw materials, the chemical industry (production of synthetic materials, soda, etc.) consumes a lot of water, fuel and energy.

Its knowledge-intensive industries (production of varnishes, dyes, reagents, pharmaceuticals, photo and toxic chemicals, high-quality polymer materials, special-purpose chemicals for electronics, etc.) place high demands on the level of workforce training, the development of R&D, and the production of special equipment (devices , devices, machines).

The strengthening of the knowledge intensity of the chemical industry as a whole and especially its individual productions has predetermined the priority for the development of the industry in highly developed countries. Many traditional branches of the chemical industry - mining chemistry, inorganic chemistry (including the production of fertilizers), and the production of some simple organic products (including plastics and chemical fibers) have been developing rapidly in recent years in developing countries.

Below are the largest chemical companies in the world:

Table 6

As can be seen from the table, the company takes first place BASF AG , Germany, companies from the USA, Great Britain, and Germany are also leading.

A very large region specializing in the production of chemical products (mainly semi-products of organic synthesis and fertilizers) has developed in the Persian Gulf area. The raw material for production here is the huge resources of associated (oil production) gas. The oil-producing countries of the region - Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Iran, Bahrain, etc. produce 57% of the world's chemical products, which are almost entirely export-oriented.

Outside these areas, the chemical industry of the CIS countries is characterized by a high level of development, where Russia, China, the Republic of Korea, India, Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil stand out.

Among the industries, the leading place is occupied by the polymer materials industry, based on oil and gas or petrochemical raw materials. For a long period of time, the raw material base of the polymer materials industry was almost universally coal chemicals and plant raw materials. The change in the nature of the raw material base also significantly affected the geography of industry: the importance of coal regions decreased, the role of oil and gas production areas and coastal regions increased.

Currently, the most powerful organic synthesis industry is in economically developed countries that have large reserves of oil and gas (USA, Canada, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Russia, etc.), or occupy a favorable position for the supply of these types of chemical raw materials (Japan, Italy, France , Germany, Belgium, etc.).

All of the above countries occupy leading positions in the global production of synthetic resins and plastics and other types of synthetic products. Of the polymer industries, only the production of chemical fibers has seen a noticeable shift towards developing countries. In this type of production, along with the traditional leaders - the USA, Japan, Germany, etc., China, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, and India have also become among the largest producers in recent years.

In contrast to the polymer materials industry, the mining and basic chemical industries are widely represented not only in economically developed countries, but also in developing countries.

The leading producers of mineral fertilizers are China, the USA, Canada, India, Russia, Germany, Belarus, France, Ukraine, and Indonesia. At the same time, in terms of mining and processing of phosphorites, along with the United States, the countries of Africa (Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Senegal, Benin), Asia (Jordan, Israel), the CIS (Russia, Kazakhstan), Christmas Island and Nauru stand out.

The overwhelming majority of the world's production and processing of potassium salts is carried out by the USA, Canada, Germany, France, Russia, and Belarus.

The main raw material for the production of nitrogen fertilizers is natural gas. Therefore, among the most important producers and exporters of nitrogen fertilizers are, first of all, countries rich in natural gas (USA, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Gulf countries). Large quantities of nitrogen fertilizers are also produced by France, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, China, and India, whose nitrogen fertilizer industry is closely connected with the ferrous metallurgy of these countries.

Sulfur producing countries are the USA, Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, Poland. Ukraine, Russia, Turkmenistan, Japan, etc. The largest producers of sulfuric acid are the USA, China, Japan and Russia.

Light industry of the world

Light industry unites many industries and sub-sectors, the main ones being textile, clothing and footwear. These industries are currently developing especially rapidly in newly industrialized countries and other developing countries, which is largely due to their high supply of raw materials and cheap labor. Industrialized countries, having lost their positions in a number of traditional mass, technically uncomplicated industries (cheap types of fabrics, shoes, clothing and other types of consumer products), retain a leading role in the manufacture of especially fashionable, high-quality, expensive products oriented towards high technology and labor qualifications, a limited circle of consumers (production of carpets, furs, jewelry, standards of shoes, clothing, fabrics from expensive raw materials, etc.).

The textile industry in the era of scientific and technological revolution significantly changed its structure. For a long period of time, the main branch of the world's textile industry remained cotton, followed by wool, linen and processing of man-made fibers. Currently, the share of chemical fibers in global fabric production has increased significantly, while the share of cotton, wool and especially flax has decreased. The creation of mixed fabrics from natural and chemical fibers and knitwear (knitted fabric) was of great importance. The share of chemical fibers in the textile industry of developed countries has especially increased. In the economies of developing countries, the main types of textile raw materials remain cotton, wool, and natural silk, although the share of products made from chemical fibers has recently increased significantly.

The textile industry as a whole is developing at a faster pace in the group of developing countries. Asia has become the main region of the textile industry in the world, providing today about 70% of the total amount of fabrics, more than half of the production of cotton and woolen fabrics.

The main producers of cotton fabrics are China (30% of world production), India (10%), USA, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Italy, Egypt,

Among the leading producers of woolen fabrics are also a significant part of Asian countries. The world's largest manufacturer of these fabrics is China (15%), followed by Italy (14%), Japan, USA, India, Turkey, Republic of Korea, Germany, Great Britain, Spain.

And in the production of the most expensive silk fabrics, with the absolute leadership of the USA (over 50%), the share of Asian countries is also very large, especially India, China and Japan (more than 40%).

The production of linen fabrics decreased significantly. They are produced in large quantities only in Russia and Western European countries (France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Great Britain).

Developed countries of the world (especially the USA, Italy, Japan, Germany, France), while their share in the production of cotton and woolen fabrics is decreasing, remain the largest producers of knitwear and fabrics made from chemical fibers (synthetic and blended). Although in these types of textile industries their role is steadily declining due to the organization of production in developing countries (India, China, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, etc.).

In Russia, which was one of the largest manufacturers of all types of natural fabrics in the world, their production is experiencing a severe decline.

Developing countries are also of great importance in the production of clothing industry products (underwear, outerwear, etc.). Many of them, and above all China, India, South Korea, Taiwan, and Colombia, have become the largest producers and exporters of ready-made clothing. Developed countries (especially the USA, France, Italy, etc.) are increasingly specializing in the production of fashionable, elite, individual products,

The footwear industry, among light industry sectors, has moved the most from developed countries to countries with cheap labor - developing countries. The leaders in the production of footwear have become the People's Republic of China (which has overtaken the former leaders Italy and the USA in its production and produces more than 40% of footwear in the world) and other Asian countries - the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand. In developed countries (Italy, USA, Austria, Germany stand out), the production of leather shoes from expensive raw materials, with high labor intensity of production, has remained mainly. The largest manufacturer and exporter of such shoes is Italy. In Russia, shoe production has decreased several times in recent years, and the country has transformed from the world's largest shoe producer (in 1990, second only to China) into a significant importer.

Forest industry of the world

The forestry industry includes logging, mechanical and chemical processing of wood, and pulp and paper production.

The geography of the forest industry is largely determined by the location of forest resources. The world's forest resources (the forested area of ​​the planet, the wood reserves on it) are concentrated in two forest belts that differ in geographical location and species composition - northern and southern.

The northern forest belt covers areas of the temperate zone of Eurasia and North America. The forests here are represented mainly by coniferous species (pine, spruce, larch, fir, cedar). Deciduous trees include birch, aspen, alder, oak, beech, hornbeam, ash, etc. Coniferous forests occupy 1.2 billion hectares (or 1/3 of all forest areas in the world) with wood reserves of 127 billion cubic meters. m, of which most of the reserves are in Russia (more than 60%), Canada (about 30%), the USA, Finland and Sweden. The countries of the northern belt harvest the bulk of the world's commercial timber.

The southern forest belt includes humid equatorial and seasonally humid tropical forests of the Amazon in South America (Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, etc.), Africa (Republics of the Congo and Cote d'Ivoire, Angola, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, etc.) , Southeast

Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, etc.), Australia and Oceania (Papua New Guinea, northeastern Australia, etc.). Deciduous trees dominate here. Among them, ornamental wood is especially valuable: mahogany, iron, sandalwood, etc. Most of the belt's wood reserves are concentrated in South America (about 60%) and Asia (25%). In the countries of the southern belt (these are mainly developing countries), of all harvested timber, only 10 20% is commercial (most of it is exported to Western European countries, Japan, etc.), the rest is used as fuel.

The volume of timber harvested in the world is 4 billion cubic meters. m, of which approximately a third (1.2 billion cubic meters) is harvested in developed countries. In recent years, the share of developing countries has been growing. The USA, Russia, Canada, India, Brazil, Indonesia, Nigeria, China, and Sweden stand out in terms of the scale of logging. The largest exporters of wood are the USA (15% of world exports), India and Brazil (8% each), Indonesia and Canada (6% each).

Mechanical and chemical processing of wood is the domain of mainly developed countries. In the world production of lumber (500 million cubic meters), the main countries are the USA (20%), Canada (12%), Japan, China and Russia (6% each); cellulose (160 million tons) USA (30%), Canada (15%), China, Japan, Sweden, Finland (6-7% each); paper (180 million tons) - USA (45%), Japan (16%), China (12%), Canada (10%), Finland, Sweden, France, Republic of Korea.

The leaders in paper production per capita (world average 45 kg) are Finland (1400 kg), Sweden (670 kg), Canada (530 kg), Norway (400 kg). In Russia this figure is much lower - 35 kg.

Conclusion

So, it is clear that the sectors of the fuel and energy complex (FEC) belong to capital-intensive industries. In industrialized countries, where all its industries are represented, usually the main capital investments, ranging up to 85%, are in the oil and gas industry and the electric power industry (in approximately equal shares) and up to 15% in the oil refining and coal industries. Investments in the oil industry have a significant impact on the investment process in the fuel and energy complex as a whole.

The cyclical nature of the development of business activity in the oil industry is due to the fact that decisions to increase capital investment in the oil industry are made at a time when there is a shortage of oil in the markets, accompanied by rising prices and profits. Typically, during this period, all participants in the oil business, including financial structures, strive to revive the investment process in this industry, and the return on these investments in the form of increased production volumes begins to take effect after about 10 years. In the oil markets, there is an excess supply of oil over demand, prices begin to decline, which is also accompanied by a decrease in investment until the excess oil disappears. This period also lasts about 10 years. Over the past 100 years, there have been five such cycles, each lasting from 20 to 22 years, and these cycles did not necessarily coincide with the development cycles of the entire economy.

In accordance with the cyclical nature of the development of the oil industry, there were changes in capital investments not only in this industry, but also in the fuel and energy complex in general.

In the development of international trade in raw materials and food products during the post-war period, a number of important trends are clearly observed, causing significant changes in the commodity structure of world exports. First of all, there is a predominant increase in trade in semi-finished products made from mineral and plant raw materials, which is a consequence of the impact of scientific and technical progress on international trade.

The predominant development of exports of finished products and semi-finished products has caused a sharp decline in the share of raw materials in world exports.

Noting the downward trend in the share of primary goods in world trade, it should be noted that we are not talking about an absolute, but a relative decline in the export of these goods. During 1963-1990, for example, the share of raw materials, fuel and food in world exports fell by almost half, while actual exports increased many times, including oil, natural gas and coal more than 20 times, food 10 times.

Among the huge variety of raw materials and fuel resources circulating in international trade, the leading role is played by fuel and energy products - oil, petroleum products, natural gas and coal. This group of goods consistently retains its leadership role among other product groups in world trade. In the early 90s, fuel and energy goods occupied second place in international trade and provided more than 10% of world exports, ahead of such large product groups as food, chemicals, ores, and second only to the group of machinery and equipment. Oil occupies a leading position in the group of fuel and raw materials.

Bibliography

1. Vasilenko A. The oil factor in Russian foreign policy // Russian Journal.-2001.-No. 2..
2. World economy [Electronic resource] Access mode: http://global-economics.info/ /
3. Denchev K. Oil and gas factor in international relations // Polity. - 1999. - No. 3 (13). - p. 130.
4. World economy: [Text. for universities in economics. specialties and directions] / A.S. Bulatov, E.B. Rogatnykh, R.F. Volkov and others; Ed. A.S. Bulatova.-M.: Yurist, 2009 - 734 p.
5. The concept of the world economy // Educational site [Electronic resource] Access mode: http://ayp.ru/
6. Rodionova I.A. Countries of the world: economic and geographical characteristics: A guide for applicants to universities. M.: Moscow Lyceum, 2004.
7. Ferrous metallurgy of the world // Economics and finance [Electronic resource] Access mode: http://money.rin.ru/
8. Sharipov U.Z. International relations in the Persian Gulf region and the role of the oil factor (West and countries of the region) // Abstract of dissertation for doctoral political sciences - M., 2007.
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Fuel and energy industry. The fuel and energy industry is a combination of branches of the fuel industry, electric power, and means of delivering fuel and energy. Over the past two centuries, the global fuel and energy industry has gone through two main stages in its development. The first stage (XIX - first half of the XX century) was coal, when coal fuel sharply predominated in the structure of the world fuel and energy balance. The second stage was the oil and gas stage. Oil and gas have proven to be more efficient energy carriers than solid fuels. In the 1980s, the world energy industry entered the third (transitional) stage of its development, where there is a transition from the use of predominantly exhaustible mineral fuel resources to inexhaustible resources.

Fuel industry is a complex of industries involved in the extraction and processing of fuel and energy raw materials. It belongs to the group of extractive industries and is basic. Its importance lies in providing fuel and raw materials to other industries - thermal power, petrochemicals, and metallurgy. In the conditions of the scientific and technological revolution, the role of the fuel industry is increasing due to the development of electrification and heating of production, which determines the intensive growth of energy consumption.

The fuel industry includes coal, gas, oil, peat, shale and uranium mining.

Oil industry. Oil is produced in approximately 80 countries, but the geography of this industry is determined by the countries of the “top ten”. The main feature is that about 4/5 of the reserves and more than 1/2 of the oil production are in developing countries, which are the main exporters of oil, especially OPEC countries (Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Angola, Nigeria, Algeria, Libya, Venezuela, Ecuador).

More than 3.5 billion tons of oil are produced annually in the world, of which the largest oil-producing countries in 2001 were (in million tons):

Saudi Arabia (493);

Russia (491);

China (187);

Mexico (173);

Canada (158);

Venezuela (133);

Kuwait (130).

The leading exporters are OPEC countries, Mexico and Russia.

As a result, a huge territorial gap has formed between the main areas of oil production and areas of its consumption. Therefore, the main oil export flows have the following directions:

Persian Gulf - Japan;

Persian Gulf - Western Europe;

Southeast Asia - Japan;

Caribbean - USA;

North Africa - Western Europe;

Russia – Foreign Europe and CIS countries.

Gas industry. Natural gas is the cheapest and most environmentally friendly fuel. Unlike oil-producing countries, the main gas-producing countries are the developed countries of Europe and North America. Russia is the leader in global gas production. where the largest basin is located - Western Siberia, followed by the largest production: the USA, Canada, Iran and Norway.

Global gas reserves in 2007 amounted to 177 trillion m3.

In terms of natural gas reserves, the CIS (Russia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan) and the Middle East (Iran, Qatar, UAE) stand out. They are distributed by country as follows:

Russia – 45.6 trillion m3;

Iran – 27.8 trillion m3;

Qatar – 25.6 trillion m3;

UAE – 6.1 trillion m3;

USA – 5.9 trillion m3;

Nigeria – 5.3 trillion m3.

Approximately 20% of all produced gas enters the world market. The main gas exporters are: Russia, which supplies gas to Europe, and the CIS countries; Canada and Mexico, which supply gas to the United States; the Netherlands and Norway, supplying gas to Western Europe; Algeria, which supplies gas to Western Europe and the United States; Indonesia, Middle Eastern countries, Australia exporting gas to Japan.

Gas transportation is provided in two ways: through main gas pipelines and using gas tankers when transporting liquefied gas.

Coal industry. The oldest branch of the fuel industry developed much more slowly.

In the 21st century Due to rising oil prices, production volumes began to increase, and in 2007 amounted to 6.4 billion tons.

The leading role in coal mining belongs to three large regions: Foreign Asia, Foreign Europe and North America. And the “top five” countries include China (2536 million tons), the USA (1039 million tons), India (439 million tons), Australia (393 million tons), Russia (393 million tons). A lot of coal is also mined in South Africa, Germany and Indonesia.

The following countries also lead in proven coal reserves: the USA, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, India, Poland, Australia, and South Africa. Most coal is consumed in the same countries where it is mined, so only 8% reaches the world market. There have been changes in the structure of trade - the demand for coking coal is falling, and due to the development of blast-furnace technologies in metallurgy, the demand for thermal coal is growing. 350-400 million tons of coal enter the world market annually.

The most important role in the competitiveness of coal on the world market is played by its cost. It depends on the possibility of open-pit mining, the depth and thickness of the layers. Coal exporters are countries with the best conditions for its production. The main suppliers of coal are Australia, Indonesia and South Africa, and consumers are Japan, Western Europe and the Republic of Korea.

The main coal cargo flows are in the following directions: USA - Western Europe; USA - Japan; Australia - Japan; Australia - Western Europe; South Africa - Japan.

Electric power industry. Electric power industry is one of the leading industries of the scientific and technological revolution era. Its development largely determines the level of development of the economy as a whole.

Electricity is produced in all countries of the world, but only 11 countries have an annual production of more than 200 billion kWh: the USA, China, Japan, Russia, India, Germany, Canada, France, the Republic of Korea, the UK and Brazil.

An important indicator of a country's supply of electricity is the amount of its production per capita. This figure is highest in countries such as Norway (26 thousand kWh), Canada (17 thousand kWh), Sweden (26 thousand kWh), and the USA (14 thousand kWh).

Most of the world's energy is produced by thermal power plants. The second place belongs to hydroelectric power plants, and the third place goes to nuclear energy, but in different countries the shares of different types of power plants differ greatly. Thus, in Poland almost all electricity is produced at thermal power plants, in Norway - at hydroelectric power plants, and in France, the electric power industry is based on nuclear power plants. France, Japan, and the Republic of Korea continue, unlike many other countries, to increase nuclear power capacity even after the Chernobyl disaster.

In conditions of shortage of energy resources, the search for new energy sources does not stop. The first geothermal power plants using the Earth's internal heat were built in the USA, Mexico, Italy, Japan, New Zealand and Russia. Tidal power plants operate in France, the USA, Canada, Russia and China, and wind and solar power plants operate in many countries.

The fuel and energy industry has an impact on the environment: during the extraction of mineral resources, soil cover is disturbed, entire natural landscapes are “eaten up”, and during the extraction and transportation of oil and gas, the World Ocean is polluted. The global thermal energy industry emits harmful substances into the environment, the composition of the atmosphere changes, and thermal pollution occurs. During the construction of a hydroelectric power station, the microclimate of the territory, its hydrological regime, etc. change. Nuclear energy has given rise to the problem of radioactive waste disposal.

Mechanical engineering. Mechanical engineering is one of the oldest industries; it is of great importance in the economy. Mechanical engineering provides all sectors of the economy with various equipment and machines and produces many consumer goods (watches, refrigerators and other household appliances). Nowadays, mechanical engineering ranks first among all branches of world industry both in terms of the number of employees and the cost of production. The level of development of any country is judged by the level of development of mechanical engineering. It is in mechanical engineering that the gap between developed and developing countries is especially noticeable. The undisputed leaders are the USA, Japan and Germany. Among developing countries, China stands out. Brazil, Mexico, India and Republic of Korea.

The industry composition of mechanical engineering is very complex. It consists of more than 70 industries. Its main branches are electronics, electrical engineering, computer technology, robotics, instrument making, precision engineering, agricultural machinery and tractor building, transport engineering, machine tool building, automotive manufacturing, locomotive building, carriage building, aircraft building, and shipbuilding.

The production of many types of modern engineering products requires large labor costs and highly qualified workers. Instrument making and the latest industries are especially labor-intensive. These industries require constant implementation of the latest scientific achievements, i.e. are knowledge-intensive. Such production facilities are located in large cities or near them, where there are many skilled workers and engineers, scientific research centers are located, and there is a developed infrastructure. But the focus of mechanical engineering on metal sources in the era of scientific and technological revolution decreased significantly. Mechanical engineering is increasingly becoming a ubiquitous industry.

On the economic map of the world, 4 main engineering regions can be distinguished. The first region is North America, where almost all types of engineering products are produced. The second region is Foreign Europe, which produces mainly mass engineering products, but also occupies an important place in the production of products in some of the newest industries. The third region is East and South-East Asia, in which Japan is the leader, combining the production of mass products with leading positions in many of the latest industries that produce products of the highest technology. Mechanical engineering has reached a high level in the newly industrialized countries. The fourth region is Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

Chemical industry. The chemical industry is one of the “avant-garde three” industries that ensure economic development in the era of scientific and technological revolution. This is one of the most dynamic sectors of modern industry. The development of all sectors of the economy largely depends on the development of chemistry; chemistry provides industry and construction with new effective materials, supplies agriculture with mineral fertilizers and plant protection products, and contributes to its intensification.

The chemical industry has a complex industrial composition. It includes mining chemistry (extraction of raw materials - apatites, phosphorites, sulfur, rock salts, etc.), basic chemistry (production of salts, acids, alkalis, mineral fertilizers), chemistry of organic synthesis (production of polymers) and processing of polymer materials (production of tires , plastic products, etc.), microbiological industry.

The location of chemical industry sectors is determined by a combination of various factors.

For the mining and chemical industry, as for any mining industry, the main factor of location is natural resources.

Enterprises of basic chemistry and organic synthesis are focused on the consumer, the provision of water resources and cheap electricity.

For the location of enterprises in industries producing finished products, the main factor is consumer.

The chemical industry is a knowledge-intensive industry, therefore the knowledge intensity factor determines the location of most production facilities, primarily the “upper” floors. This factor, together with the consumer factor, determined the modern location of the chemical industry.

The main share of chemical production occurs in developed countries, where industries that process raw materials and produce finished products are concentrated. In developing countries, until recently, chemistry was represented mainly by the mining and chemical industry. However, recently the chemistry of organic synthesis has begun to develop rapidly in countries that have their own oil and gas reserves (the Persian Gulf countries, North Africa, Mexico and Venezuela).

There are 4 main regions in the global chemical industry: the USA, Foreign Europe, the CIS, Japan and China. In each of them, all branches of chemistry were developed, but especially the chemistry of organic synthesis and the production of polymer materials.

In the production of basic chemical products (acids and fertilizers), the world leaders are the USA, China and Russia. The USA, Japan, France, Germany and the Republic of Korea are leaders in the production of plastics, chemical fibers and synthetic rubber.

Metallurgical industry. Metallurgy is one of the basic industries and provides humanity with structural materials, ferrous and non-ferrous metals. This industry includes all processes - from ore mining to rolled metal production. It consists of two industries: ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy.

The geography of ferrous metallurgy is influenced by fuel and resource factors - coal and iron ore basins. The richest countries in iron ore are China, Brazil, Australia, Ukraine, India, USA, Russia, Canada, and North African countries. In recent decades, iron ore production in developed countries of Europe and the United States has stabilized or even decreased due to the depletion of a number of deposits. Currently, the main countries exporting iron ore are Brazil, Australia, India, Canada, and South Africa.

In the era of scientific and technological revolution, ferrous metallurgy is focused on cargo flows of iron ore and coking coal. As a result, in developed countries there was a shift in the industry to seaports - in the USA, Japan, and Western European countries.

Recently, consumer orientation has become widespread, which is explained by the transition from the construction of giant plants to the creation of mini-factories with more free location.

The leading countries in metal production are China, Japan, USA, Russia, Germany, Republic of Korea, Ukraine. While in developed countries steel production is either declining or remaining stable, in developing countries it is increasing. This primarily applies to Brazil, India, Mexico, but one must keep in mind that these countries produce the main “ordinary” metal, and high-quality steels are still smelted in developed countries.

Non-ferrous metallurgy is 20 times inferior to ferrous metallurgy in terms of production volume. Heavy metal ores typically have a low content of the metal itself. Therefore, the metallurgy of heavy non-ferrous metals has a raw materials orientation in the location of enterprises.

Thus, in the USA, Canada, Australia, Russia, Spain, Poland, Chile, Zambia, and Peru, such an orientation led to the fact that the main centers of copper smelting were formed in places where copper ore was mined. In developing countries, the initial stages of production have developed - ore mining, concentrate and blister copper production. The final stages of production are concentrated in those countries that do not have their own reserves of copper ore.

In the second half of the 1970s, a course was taken towards resource conservation and environmental protection; the smelting of heavy metals in developed countries began to decline, and in developing countries, on the contrary, to increase. Here, not only the initial, but also the final stages of the production process began to be mastered, and the production of refined copper was being established. As a result, there is a territorial gap between the production and consumption of heavy metals. The main exporters of refined copper are Chile, Zambia, the People's Republic of Congo, Peru, and the Philippines, and the main importers are the USA, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom.

Light metal ores, primarily aluminum, in terms of the content of the useful component - alumina - resemble iron ore (40-60%) and are therefore quite transportable.

The main reserves of bauxite are concentrated in Australia, Guinea, Brazil, China, India, and Suriname. The smelting of aluminum and other light metals is a very energy-intensive process that developed countries with large sources of electricity can afford. Therefore, the aluminum industry is characterized by a strong territorial gap between the extraction of raw materials and their processing and consumption: bauxite mining is concentrated mainly in developing countries, and the production of alumina and aluminum is concentrated in developed countries. Switzerland and Bahrain, which have absolutely no aluminum raw materials, smelt aluminum using cheap electricity and export it entirely.

The world leaders in aluminum production are China, the USA, Russia, Canada, Australia and Brazil.

Forestry and woodworking industry. The industry includes harvesting, mechanical processing (woodworking), and chemical processing of wood (timber chemicals, pulp and paper industry).

The placement features are primarily determined by the raw material factor, but for the forest chemical industry the energy and water factors are also important, and for the furniture industry – the consumer factor.

The world's forests are unevenly distributed. They form two forest belts approximately equal in area and timber reserves - northern and southern. Northern - in the zone of temperate and partly subtropical climates. The most forested countries in the northern zone are Russia, the USA, Canada, Finland, and Sweden. The southern zone is in the zone of tropical and equatorial climates. The main forest areas of the southern belt are the Amazon, the Congo Basin, Southeast Asia, countries: Congo, Brazil, Venezuela.

The timber industry is characterized by the presence of two forest belts. Within the northern forest belt, coniferous wood is harvested, which is then processed into wood panels, cellulose, paper, and cardboard. For Russia, Canada, Sweden, and Finland, the forestry and wood processing industries are important sectors of international specialization. Canada ranks first in the world in the export of forest products. The main importers of wood are Western European countries and Japan.

Within the southern forest belt, deciduous wood is harvested. Three main areas of the timber industry have developed here: Brazil, Tropical Africa, and Southeast Asia. The wood harvested from them is exported by sea to Japan and Western Europe, and the rest is mainly used for firewood.

To make paper in the countries of the southern belt, non-wood raw materials are often used: bamboo in India, sisal in Brazil, Tanzania, jute in Bangladesh. And yet, in terms of its production per capita, these countries lag particularly far behind.

Forests are called the “lungs” of the planet; they play a huge role in the life of all humanity. They restore oxygen in the atmosphere, preserve groundwater, and prevent soil destruction. The destruction of the Amazon rainforest is disrupting the planet's lungs. Forest conservation is also necessary for human health.

Forest resources are renewable. But the problem of reduction of forest resources and deforestation of territories is quite acute. For the rational use of forest resources, it is necessary to comprehensively process raw materials, not cut down forests in an amount exceeding their growth, and carry out reforestation work.

Light industry. This industry includes primary processing of raw materials, textile, clothing and footwear industries.

One of the leading branches of light industry is textile. In the production structure, the share of natural fiber is decreasing and the share of chemical fiber is increasing. In first place is the production of cotton fabrics, where the leaders are China and India. Second place belongs to the production of fabrics made from chemical fiber, with the USA, India, Japan and the Republic of Korea leading here. The USA, Japan, and China are leaders in the production of silk and wool fabrics. At the same time, more products are produced for export in developing countries. The main exporters are Hong Kong, Pakistan, India, Egypt, Brazil, etc. Here the textile industry is experiencing a real boom, focusing on cheap labor.

Related information.

Light industry in the world plays a significant role in the modern economy. It provides the population with household and industrial goods and consumer goods. Light industry closely interacts with agriculture and other areas.

Main characteristics

Light industry is understood as a set of industries that produce items from various raw materials for the population. Conventionally divided into two groups:

• The first is that it contains cheap mass products. Characterized by low-labor production and the presence of low-skilled labor.
• The second one produces expensive goods and is characterized by qualified workers and high-tech equipment.

In furniture production, Italy accounts for 8% (of the world total), the USA - 15%, and China about 25%.

Features of light industry include:

• tight connection to the territory and consumer;
• dependence on the economic level of the population;
• changes in fashion and preferences;
• periodic changes in requirements for production technologies and raw materials;
• quick change of assortment.

Light industry sectors have their own structure and include the following industries:

• raw materials – leather processing, production of flax, cotton, etc.;
• semi-products – dyeing, textile;
• finished goods – haberdashery, shoes, clothing.

The global light industry includes the main industries - textile (in first place), footwear and clothing. Feature: they are unevenly represented in the world economy.

Industries are developing successfully mainly in developing countries. This is explained by the presence of cheap labor and raw materials, and simple production. In developed countries, expensive products are often produced using skilled labor and high technology.

Textile industry

It occupies a leading position in the world's light industry. Worker employment and production volumes are leading among all others. Manufactured by:

• synthetic and natural fabrics;
• nonwoven materials;
• ropes;
• yarn;
• carpet products.

The textile industry is the oldest, it includes the production of cotton (first place), wool, silk, and chemical fibers.

Mixed fabrics are becoming the most popular; they contain about 50% cotton and 50% synthetic fibers. In global production, the share of synthetic fibers has increased significantly, while natural fibers have decreased.

Over the past 20 years, textile manufacturing has been moving towards countries in the Asian region. Main leaders:

• China;
• Taiwan;
• South Korea;
• India, Türkiye.

The share of developed countries in the industry has decreased significantly; they manage to maintain their position by producing more expensive textiles. Many developed countries have transferred part of their industry to developing regions. The production of nonwoven materials used for technical purposes is increasing. The majority of this sector belongs to China and EU countries (25%).

Light industry sectors

Garment industry

It is considered more labor-intensive than textile. Characterized by great demand and variety of goods. Manufacturing has shifted from developed to developing countries.

The latter occupy the largest part in the industry segment - about 80% of clothing exports. The leaders are China, Asia and Latin America. Developed countries specialize mainly in sewing expensive or exclusive products.

The clothing industry also includes the production (sewing) of toys. Production is developed in almost every region. The most significant suppliers are China, Japan and the USA.

There is an increase in investment flows for industry development in the Baltic countries. This is explained by the proximity of the Western market, low wages with sufficient qualifications of employees.

Leather and footwear industry

The footwear industry is evenly concentrated in both developing and developed regions. It is distinguished by a wide assortment, it is not inferior to the clothing industry, and a variety of raw materials. Natural (leather, nubuck, suede), synthetic (leatherette), and textile materials are used.

In developed countries, higher quality products are made from expensive raw materials. The undisputed leader is the large manufacturer Italy; back in the 50s, it was famous for its shoes. Countries such as the Czech Republic, Spain, Portugal, and Great Britain are not inferior to their positions. Expensive shoes take up a third of all shoe production.

The segment is no less saturated with cheap shoes made of textiles and leatherette. The leading position rightfully belongs to China - it covers 40% of total production, with Korea, Brazil, and Thailand in the middle of the ranking. Russia has significantly reduced volumes, gradually moving from producer to importer.

The production of fur products belongs to China, the USA, and Russia. Greece occupies a special place in this segment, where fur trimmings are processed.

China is a leader in the light industry; today the country continues to develop and conquer new markets.

Forecasts for industries

Key sectors of light industry focused on mass consumption (cheap shoes, clothing) are concentrated in developing regions. Developed countries are reserved for the production of high-quality products for a limited circle of consumers (high-tech products made from expensive raw materials).

The importance of light industry has a social orientation in the world economy. It provides the population with necessary consumer and household items, creates the comfort and well-being of citizens, and plays a significant role in the country’s economy.

Consumption rates vary, but the average is gradually increasing; buyers often return to the strategy of accumulating basic household items, which increases demand for the product.

Marketers assure that regulations for fulfilling the volume of the consumer basket exist at every enterprise, and it is not difficult to supply the population with the required number of units. The interest of buyers is studied, the indicators are verified by social surveys, the trend of fashion designers is also taken into account.

Video: Russian light industry