
Economic activity may be classified into
various categories, according to purpose.
 When considering business ownership the
classifications public & private are typically used.
 Also classified according to what type of
economic good is produced. (primary, secondary,
tertiary, quaternary)

usually composed of organizations that are
privately owned and not part of the
government.

corporations (both profit and non-profit),
partnerships, and charities.

retail stores, credit unions, & local businesses
will operate in the private sector.

composed of organizations that are owned
and operated by the government (federal,
provincial, or municipal governments,
depending on where you live).

educational bodies, health care bodies, police
and prison services, and local and central
government bodies and their departments

When looking at what is actually produced for
us, it is important to distinguish between the
main types of industries

Primary
Secondary
Tertiary
Quaternary




This involves the extraction or harvesting of
resources directly from the Earth

Includes the production of raw material and
basic foods.

Examples include farming, mining and
logging. (They do not process the products at
all rather send it off to factories to make a
profit).
Voisey’s Bay Nickel Mine
Fishery (Traditional)
Hibernia offshore oil
CBP&P/ various sawmills

This group is involved in the processing of
finished products from primary industries

All of manufacturing, processing, and
construction lies within this sector

This includes all factories—those that refine
metals, produce furniture, or pack farm
products such as meat.
Country Ribbon Chicken
Fish Processing Plants
Vale Nickel Smelter (Long Harbour)
North Atlantic Refinery (Come by Chance)

Made Right Here….

NTV series hosted by Danielle Butt which
provides brief profiles of local manufacturing
companies and the products that they
produce

http://ntv.ca/?cat=26




Known as the service industry
provides services to the general population &
to businesses
In 2005, over 75% of Canadians worked here
Examples include retail/wholesale sales,
entertainment, education, health care,
tourism, garages,


Is service based like the tertiary sector, but it
entails the use of high technology to produce,
retrieve, store and distribute information.
Research & Development (R&D)
 Using computers to develop information-
processing software.
 Using computers to analyze city traffic flows to
provide information on suitable locations for new
businesses.
simulators for survival craft

Hibernia invests
12 million in MUN
ROV tech/applications

http://video.about.com/geography/What-isan-Economic-Sector.htm

We have been introduced to the idea of a 5th
sector – the Quinary Sector (branching from
the quaternary) – however, for the purposes
of this course, it will not be necessary to
pursue this further than knowing it is
recognized.

The 4 Sectors of Industry are interrelated.
An individual industry will often use more
than one sector in order to produce
products.

On the next slide we will see an example
of how the four sectors relate together in
the production of cotton clothes, part of
the fashion industry.
16
COTTON IN THE FASHION
INDUSTRY...
PRIMARY
Cotton is grown and
picked on a cotton farm
17
COTTON IN THE FASHION
INDUSTRY...
PRIMARY
Cotton is grown and
picked on a cotton farm
SECONDARY
Cotton is processed to
cloth, which is, in turn,
sewn in to clothing.
18
COTTON IN THE FASHION
INDUSTRY...
PRIMARY
Cotton is grown and
picked on a cotton farm
SECONDARY
Cotton is processed to
cloth, which is, in turn,
sewn in to clothing.
19
TERTIARY
Cotton clothes (eg jeans,
shirts etc) are sold in high
street shops.
COTTON IN THE FASHION
INDUSTRY...
PRIMARY
Cotton is grown and
picked on a cotton farm
SECONDARY
Cotton is processed to
cloth, which is, in turn,
sewn in to clothing.
TERTIARY
Cotton clothes (eg jeans,
shirts etc) are sold in high
street shops.
QUATERNARY: Research is carried out in to new ways of processing or
20
growing cotton. e.g. organic cotton.
Models and fashion shows:
tertiary.
The entire fashion industry involves a great number of
different products and services, all of which can be
classified according to industrial sector...
21
Leather manufacture in a
tannery: secondary
Models and fashion shows:
tertiary.
The entire fashion industry involves a great number of
different products and services, all of which can be
classified according to industrial sector...
22
Leather manufacture in a
tannery: secondary
Models and fashion shows:
tertiary.
A shoe factory in hanoi:
secondary
The entire fashion industry involves a great number of
different products and services, all of which can be
classified according to industrial sector...
23
Leather manufacture in a
tannery: secondary
A shoe factory in hanoi:
secondary
Models and fashion shows:
tertiary.
The entire fashion industry involves a great number of
different products and services, all of which can be
classified according to industrial sector...
Sheep farming
and sheering for
wool production:
primary
24
Leather manufacture in a
tannery: secondary
A shoe factory in hanoi:
secondary
Models and fashion shows:
tertiary.
The entire fashion industry involves a great number of
different products and services, all of which can be
classified according to industrial sector...
Sheep farming
and sheering for
wool production:
primary
Cosmetics research: quaternary
25
26

Statistics Canada: http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/homeaccueil?lang=eng

Industry Canada: GDP and Sectors

http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cis-sic.nsf/eng/h_00013.html#vla2b to see the GDP
associated with various sectors

GDP (gross domestic product) – measure of
economic activity for a period of time. GDP is
useful to analyze in that it can help identify
trends, and therefore opportunities for new
ventures.