Industry case studies

Silicon Oasis (hi-tech industry)

Background info: California, USA MEDC (high percentage of quaternary) Near San Francisco bay

Reasons for location: Near universities - R&D (Sanford University in Palo Alto) Highly skilled workers - unis Transport: 2 airports (San Jose), railways, 2 freeways Flat land in San Francisco Bay

Karachi manufacturing?

Background info: After independence from India in 1947, Pakistan needed steel and iron for houses, factories, infrastructure Pakistan Steel Complex at Pipri near Karachi 35 km East of Karachi

Reasons for location: Near shipyard - import/exports to Arabian sea or East/West to Indian ocean (2.5 km seawater channel navigable by ships (kept navigable) Raw materials - Port Qasim - iron ore, manganese, coking coal. Makli hills provide limestone by road. Lake Halejil (50 km East)- fresh water Site - flat, cheap land, unused land near Charo Creek USSR provided economic assistance (technical expertise, finance, capital) Energy - Port Qasim - highest electricity generating capacity power in country (thermal station - 21%) Labour - both skilled and unskilled in Karachi Market -Steel-using industry (tool making), rest to rest of Pakistan (50% in Punjab --> factories established in 1979 with Chinese finance) Transport - Karachi (Kotri railway), metalled roads connected Pipri to main road system

Inputs: Limestone Iron ore Coke Oxygen Water Energy Labour

Processes: Oxidation Purifying Malting Ore is extracted, iron extracted from ore, impurities oxidised, iron molten and again impurities oxidised, carbon added to get steel, steel into slabs, then processed to e.g. sheets or plates

Output: Iron Steel Sheets Plates Wires Girder

Effects: More labour in steel mills Pollution from steel Profits More skilled labour Higher transport costs