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Geography Optional Syllabus

Weber's model of industrial location

October 22, 2020 by Bhushan Leave a Comment Last Updated October 22, 2020

Weber's model of industrial location is one of the Locational Triads i.e. Von Thunen's model of agricultural location, Central Place theory of Christaller, and Weber Weber's model of industrial location.

It is a normative theory based on ideal assumptions. In the assumption of isotropic surface, Weber assumed uniformity in terms of terrain and climate. But he acknowledged the possibility that raw materials may not be found everywhere and a possibility that labor may also be concentrated. Accordingly in modified his theory.

The theory had two parts

  1. Ideal location based on least transportation cost consideration
  2. Deviations from least transport cost due to labor factors and agglomeration and transportation cost of raw materials and transportation cost of finished goods

Part 1 - Ideal location based on least transportation cost

Case A - One raw material one market

  1. Raw material is ubiquitous found everywhere - the industry is in market
  2. Raw materials is fixed and not found everywhere
    1. Raw material is pure - the industry can be anywhere in between the straight line joining market with raw material source
    2. Raw material is impure -
      • Weber uses a new concept the concept of material index which is the ratio of of the weight of raw material to the weight of finished products
      • If MI - greater than 1 it's a weight losing industry search industry will gravitate towards raw material
      • If MI - is less than 1 then industry well gravitate towards market. Heavy engineering generally which are those based on ore like like Steel plants copper smelter Agro products are more near the raw material centres where as industry producing FMCG products like appliances computer and industry based on assembly are located near the markets

Case B - There are two raw material and one market

  1. Both raw materials are ubiquitous
  2. One is ubiquitous and the other is fixed
  3. Both raw materials are fixed - Weber used the concept of locational Triangle are weight Triangle - Figure - weight triangle is a triangle Drone with market and two raw material sources as the vertices of triangle the industry will be located within this Triangle but depending on material index and weight gaining or weight losing character of the raw material the industry will gravitate towards either of raw material or towards the market
Example - Steel industry in India

In older Technology - The steel industry required 8 parts of coal and one part of iron ore to produce one part of Steel. Such industries were located near coal because they were coal intensive industries. Example - Bokaro steel plant, Durgapur coal fields, and Rourkela Steel Plant based on Mahanadi Valley coal.

In later Technology - In Bessemer converter, two parts of iron with one part of coal produced one part of Steel. Such plants are located near iron ore resources. Example - Bhadravati steel plant is in the vicinity of Bababudangiri Hills in the iron ore mines of Chikkamagaluru.

Recent policies - Encouraged Mini and micro Steel plants based on scrap Steel. Now, the Steel plants have gravitated towards major urban centers which are the source of scrap steel as raw material inputs. Example - Bhushan Steel and Hisar Steel in the vicinity of Delhi NCR

Example - Industrial regions and agglomerations of the world

Northern Appalachians and lake Erie industrial region - centers like Detroit buffalo Pennsylvania are all based on Northern Appalachian coalfields

Ruhr Westphalia - Ruhr Valley industries like Essex cologne are based on Ruhr Westphalia coalfields of Germany

Mukdem industrial triangle of China - the Manchurian industrial region of China is based on the iron ore of Xinjian region, Hanshan region and Fujian region

Part 2- Deviations from least transport cost

Industries rarely locate themselves exactly at the location of Least Transport Cost. Labor factors and Agglomeration advantage can distort the location

  1. Labour factor
  2. Agglomeration advantage

Labor factors

According to Weber certain categories of labor that are highly skilled and traditional craft skilled, are not mobile (But are very localized). In locations away from such labor advantage, either the skill sets of labor is inadequate (because of which quality of production and the economic Returns may be impacted) or because of lack of enough labor, the labor wages may be very high. So, Industries dependent on such labor, shift out of the least transportation cost for savings on the labor. But the industry will not shift indefinitely. But will shift only to that location where the savings of the labor cost doesn't become less than the additional total transportation cost.

Weber used two concepts

  1. Isotims
  2. Isodapane
Isotims

Lines joining the same transportation cost. Because the surface is otherwise considered to be isotropic. The Isotims will be regular concentric circles depicting increased transportation costs as we move out from the center.

Isodapane

Isodapanes are lines joining the same total transport cost. Unlike Isotims, Isodapanes are not circular. They can be of any shape but are of closed shape.

According to Weber the Isodapane which depicts the total transportation cost as compensated by the savings on the labor is called the critical Isodapane

In the shift of industry from the least cost location because of labor factors, the shift will only be till critical Isodapane Eg. Switzerland - Precision industry - watch and tools

There are many Global centres which have become anonymous with certain categories of products such as

  • Sandalwood - Mysore
  • Brass - Moradabad
  • Bangles - Firozabad
  • Fireworks - Sivakasi
  • Switzerland - Precision equipment
  • Turin - Automobile designs
  • Florence - Glass products

Agglomeration advantage

The industries, in trying to reduce their production and infrastructure cost tend to agglomerate away from the least transport cost locations. At agglomeration centers, Industries can use each other's output, tap into the common labor market, or even use the already existing customer base

Weber's theory of location is an economic theory valid in a market-based capitalist system. But in reality, the market process can be weak and can be manipulated for deliberately including industrial location advantage. But such policies distort the condition of perfect competition and hence cannot be accommodated in weber's theory.

In almost all development history of countries and economies, political decisions have tried to include the growth process using the concept of growth centers. A center where an advantage is created if it doesn't exist to induce and encourage industrial development centers. Bongaigaon and Bhilai came up us industrial centers because of such governmental discretions

Previous years questions

  • 2019: Distinguish between 'Isodapanes' and 'Isotims'. Critically examine the least cost theory of industrial location given by Alfred Weber.
  • 2011: Isodapane in the Theory of Industrial Location. Short notes.
  • 1997: Critically examine Alfred Weber's Theory of the Location of Industries
  • 1992: Discuss the theories of Industrial location propounded by any two of the following; Weber, Hoover, and Smith.

Filed Under: UPSC Tagged With: 1.2.5 5. Models, BureaucratOne, Geography Optional, Geography Optional Syllabus, upsc

Geography Optional Syllabus

October 6, 2020 by Bhushan Leave a Comment Last Updated June 30, 2021

Geography Optional Syllabus - Geography is a little less abstractive than the other Arts Optionals like Sociology and Psychology and has an overlap with the General studies syllabus. This makes Geography a popular subject.

Part I

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

1. Geomorphology

  1. Factors controlling landform development;
  2. Endogenetic and exogenetic forces;
  3. Origin and evolution of the earth's crust;
  4. Fundamentals of geomagnetism;
  5. Physical conditions of the earth's interior;
  6. Geosynclines; Continental drift; Isostasy; Plate tectonics;
  7. Recent views on mountain building;
  8. Vulcanicity;
  9. Earthquakes and Tsunamis;
  10. Concepts of geomorphic cycles and Landscape development ;
  11. Denudation chronology;
  12. Channel morphology;
  13. Erosion surfaces;
  14. Slope development ;
  15. Applied Geomorphology: Geohydrology, economic geology, and environment

2. Climatology

  1. Temperature and pressure belts of the world;
  2. Heat budget of the earth;
  3. Atmospheric circulation;
  4. Atmospheric stability and instability.
  5. Planetary and local winds;
  6. Monsoons and jet streams;
  7. Air masses and frontogenesis, Temperate and tropical cyclones;
  8. Types and distribution of precipitation;
  9. Weather and Climate;
  10. Koppen's, Thornthwaite's and Trewartha's classification of world climates;
  11. Hydrological cycle;
  12. Global climatic change and role and response of man in climatic changes, Applied climatology and Urban climate.

3. Oceanography

  1. Bottom topography of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans;
  2. Temperature and salinity of the oceans;
  3. Heat and salt budgets, Ocean deposits;
  4. Waves, currents and tides;
  5. Marine resources: biotic, mineral and energy resources;
  6. Coral reefs, coral bleaching;
  7. Sea level changes;
  8. Law of the sea and marine pollution

4. Biogeography

  1. The Genesis of soils;
  2. Classification and distribution of soils;
  3. Soil profile;
  4. Soil erosion, Degradation, and conservation;
  5. Factors influencing world distribution of plants and animals;
  6. Problems of deforestation and conservation measures;
  7. Social forestry;
  8. Agro-forestry;
  9. Wildlife;
  10. Major gene pool centers

5. Environmental Geography

  1. Principle of ecology;
  2. Human ecological adaptations;
  3. Influence of man on ecology and environment;
  4. Global and regional ecological changes and imbalances;
  5. Ecosystem their management and conservation;
  6. Environmental degradation, management and conservation; Biodiversity and sustainable development;
  7. Environmental policy;
  8. Environmental hazards and remedial measures;
  9. Environmental education and legislation

HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

1. Perspectives in Human Geography

  1. Areal differentiation;
  2. Regional synthesis;
  3. Dichotomy and dualism;
  4. Environmentalism;
  5. Quantitative revolution and locational analysis;
  6. Radical, Behavioral, Human, and Welfare approaches;
  7. Languages, religions, and secularization;
  8. Cultural regions of the world;
  9. Human development index.

2. Economic Geography

  1. World economic development: measurement and problems;
  2. World resources and their distribution;
  3. Energy crisis;
  4. The limits to growth;
  5. World agriculture: a typology of agricultural regions;
  6. Agricultural inputs and productivity;
  7. Food and nutrition problems;
  8. Food security;
  9. famine: causes, effects, and remedies;
  10. World industries: locational patterns and problems;
  11. patterns of world trade.

3. Population and Settlement Geography

Population Geography
  1. Growth and distribution of world population;
  2. Demographic attributes;
  3. Causes and consequences of migration;
  4. Concepts of over, under, and optimum population;
  5. Population theories, world population problems, and policies, Social well-being, and quality of life;
  6. Population as social capital.
Settlement Geography
  1. Types and patterns of rural settlements;
  2. Environmental issues in rural settlements;
  3. Hierarchy of urban settlements;
  4. Urban morphology: Concepts of primate city and rank-size rule;
  5. Functional classification of towns;
  6. Sphere of urban influence;
  7. Rural-urban fringe;
  8. Satellite towns;
  9. Problems and remedies of urbanization;
  10. Sustainable development of cities.

4. Regional Planning

  1. Concept of a region;
  2. Types of regions and methods of regionalization;
  3. Growth centers and growth poles;
  4. Regional imbalances;
  5. Regional development strategies;
  6. Environmental issues in regional planning;
  7. Planning for sustainable development.

5. Models, Theories and Laws in Human Geography

  1. Systems analysis in Human geography;
  2. Malthusian, Marxian and demographic transition models;
  3. Central Place theories of Christaller and Losch;
  4. Perroux and Boudeville;
  5. Von Thunen's model of agricultural location;
  6. Weber's model of industrial location;
  7. Rostov's model of stages of growth
  8. Heartland and Rimland Theory
  9. Laws of international boundaries and frontiers

Part II

1. Physical Setting

  1. Space relationship of India with neighboring countries;
  2. Structure and relief;
  3. The drainage system and watersheds;
  4. Physiographic regions;
  5. Mechanism of Indian monsoons and rainfall patterns, Tropical cyclones and western disturbances;
  6. Floods and droughts;
  7. Climatic regions;
  8. Natural vegetation;
  9. Soil types and their distributions.

2. Resources

  1. Land, surface and groundwater, Energy, Minerals, biotic and marine resources;
  2. Forest and wildlife resources and their conservation;
  3. Energy crisis.

3. Agriculture

  1. Infrastructure: irrigation, seeds, fertilizers, power;
  2. Institutional factors: landholdings, land tenure, and land reforms;
  3. Cropping pattern, agricultural productivity, agricultural intensity, crop combination, land capability;
  4. Agro and social-forestry;
  5. Green revolution and its socio-economic and ecological implications;
  6. Significance of dry farming;
  7. Livestock resources and white revolution;
  8. Aquaculture;
  9. Sericulture, apiculture, and poultry;
  10. Agricultural regionalization;
  11. Agro-climatic zones;
  12. Agro-ecological regions.

4. Industry

  1. Evolution of industries
  2. Locational factors of
    1. Cotton,
    2. Jute,
    3. Textile,
    4. Iron and steel,
    5. Aluminium,
    6. Fertilizer,
    7. Paper,
    8. Chemical and pharmaceutical,
    9. Automobile,
    10. Cottage,
    11. Agro-based industries;
  3. Industrial houses and complexes including public sector undertakings;
  4. Industrial regionalisation;
  5. New industrial policies;
  6. Multinationals and liberalization;
  7. Special Economic Zones;
  8. Tourism including eco-tourism.

5. Transport, Communication and Trade

  1. Road, railway, waterway, airway and pipeline networks and their complementary roles in regional development;
  2. The growing importance of ports on national and foreign trade;
  3. Trade balance;
  4. Trade Policy;
  5. Export processing zones;
  6. Developments in communication and information technology and their impacts on the economy and society;
  7. Indian space program.

6. Cultural Setting

  1. Historical Perspective of Indian Society:
    1. Racial diversity
    2. Linguistic diversity
    3. Ethnic diversity
  2. Religious minorities;
  3. Major tribes, tribal areas, and their problems;
  4. Cultural regions;
  5. Growth, distribution, and density of population;
  6. Demographic attributes:
    1. Sex-ratio,
    2. Age structure,
    3. Literacy rate,
    4. Work-force,
    5. Dependency ratio,
    6. Longevity;
  7. Migration (inter-regional, intraregional and international) and associated problems;
  8. Population problems and policies;
  9. Health indicators.

7. Settlements

  1. Types, patterns, and morphology of rural settlements;
  2. Urban developments;
  3. Morphology of Indian cities;
  4. Functional classification of Indian cities;
  5. Conurbations and metropolitan regions;
  6. Urban sprawl;
  7. Slums and associated problems;
  8. Town planning;
  9. Problems of urbanization and remedies.

8. Regional Development and Planning

  1. Experience of regional planning in India;
  2. Five Year Plans;
  3. Integrated rural development programs;
  4. Panchayati Raj and decentralized planning;
  5. Command area development;
  6. Watershed management;
  7. Planning for
    1. Backward area,
    2. Desert,
    3. Drought-prone,
    4. Hill,
    5. Tribal area development;
  8. Multi-level planning;
  9. Regional planning
  10. Development of island territories.

9. Political Aspects

  1. Geographical basis of Indian federalism;
  2. State reorganization;
  3. The emergence of new states;
  4. Regional consciousness and inter state issues;
  5. The international boundary of India and related issues;
  6. Cross border terrorism;
  7. India's role in world affairs;
  8. Geopolitics of South Asia
  9. Indian Ocean realm.

10. Contemporary Issues

  1. Ecological issues
  2. Environmental hazards:
    1. Landslides,
    2. Earthquakes,
    3. Tsunamis,
    4. Floods and Droughts,
    5. Epidemics;
  3. Issues relating to environmental pollution;
  4. Changes in patterns of land use;
  5. Principles of environmental impact assessment and environmental management;
  6. Population explosion and food security;
  7. Environmental degradation;
  8. Deforestation, desertification, and soil erosion;
  9. Problems of agrarian and industrial unrest;
  10. Regional disparities in economic development;
  11. Concept of sustainable growth and development;
  12. Environmental awareness;
  13. Linkage of rivers;
  14. Globalization and the Indian economy

Filed Under: UPSC Tagged With: Geography Optional Syllabus, Paper 1

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