This documents contains notes and summaries made from " FOCUS Geography" textbook which summarizes: Chapter 1 structure of the economy; Chapter 3 Mining; Chapter 4 secondary & tertiary sectors; Chapter 5 strategies for industrial development; Chapter 6 the informal sector.
Two ways of measuring the importance and value of the economic sectors to
the total economy of our country:
Employment = how many people have jobs.
The value of goods and services produced.
KEYWORDS
Economy: a country’s income and how it is spent.
Gross domestic product [GDP]: the total value of a country’s output
during one year.
Statistical: information expressed as a number.
Perspective: viewpoint.
Graphs and statistical data are of value for:
Understanding the economics and geography of a
country.
Giving perspective on a region, such as a country.
Planning the funding and future development of a
province.
Identifying economic strengths and weaknesses of a
country or of a province.
Illustrating change over time.
Agriculture is important to the south African economy:
- Farm products provide raw materials for industry.
- High contribution to the economy.
- Agricultural produce is exported bringing in foreign money.
Pastoral farming: the raising of animals such as cattle, sheep and goats.
Agriculture: farming.
Hydroponic farming: growing plants without soil, instead using a nutrient
liquid that is piped to roots of the plants.
Crop yield: output per unit area.
Communal farming: food production on land that is owned by the group
living there.
Market: the demand for a good or service and the ability of people who need
the goods and service to pay for them.
Small-scale commercial farming:
- They grow flowers, tomatoes, strawberries, beans etc.
- Small-scale commercial farms are family-run businesses that
contribute part or all of the family’s income.
- Small-scale family farmers work intensively, giving more time and
care per unit area.
- Some advantages of small-scale farms under greenhouses and
polytunnels =
They use less water.
Plants grow more quickly.
Plants are uniform size.
Higher crop yields.
Crops ripen earlier.
More than one crop a year.
- Among the difficulties confronting small-scale farms are=
Lack of government support.
Too small to win contracts with supermarket chains.
The need for expensive investments in equipment.
Small-scale subsistence farming:
- The farms are small.
- Did not get enough training in modern farming methods.
- Roads were poor in those days and distances to markets and
ports were very large.
- Access to irrigation water, electricity for farming or a road to
local markets were scarce in most areas.
- Farm is consumed by the family.
- Subsistence farming areas has increased.
, KEYWORDS
Dumping: the selling of surplus goods or commodities at low
prices, especially on the market of foreign countries.
Ranching: the large-scale rearing of cattle on extensive farms.
Exotic: from other parts of the world.
Large-scale commercial farming:
- These farms have supplied South Africa’s demand for maize, fruit,
sugar, eggs, wheat and milk.
- They supplied country’s need for beef, mutton and chicken.
- Present-day commercial farmers are facing challenges =
Production costs have increased.
Government assistance and subsidies have been withdrawn.
- Main agricultural products produced =
The subtropical lowveld produces tropical fruits.
The summer rainfall highveld is suitable for growing maize
and sunflower seeds.
The winter rainfall region is the main producer of deciduous
fruits and grapes.
Factors favouring agriculture:
- A range of climates support the production of many agricultural
products=
The warm, wetter northern and eastern parts can grow tropical
crops like sugar, maize, sorghum and tropical fruits.
The southwestern parts are mild and have winter rain, this climate
suits the growing of grapes and winter wheat.
- Long growing season.
- Flat land = favours extensive commercial crop farming.
- Rivers provide irrigation water.
- Exotic crops have been added to the indigenous crops.
- Climate research helps farmers to select the most suitable crops.
- Plant research in south Africa and foreign laboratories has developed
new strains of crops.
- Land ownership = large farms are commercially operated, source of
country’s food.
- Trade: exports of agricultural products earn billions of rands every
year.
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