C. Tertiary Activities
The Tertiary Sector, also known as the Service Sector, consists of activities that provide support to the Primary and Secondary sectors. These activities do not produce a physical good (like wheat or a car) but provide a service that helps in the production or distribution process.
Key Characteristics
- Support: Facilitates the functioning of the other two sectors.
- Intangible: You cannot “hold” a service like you hold a product, but you experience its value.
- Skill-based: Often requires specialized skills (e.g., doctors, pilots, coders).
Tip
Role: Activities involved in the provision of services which complement both primary and secondary sectors.
Categories of Tertiary Activities
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Trade and Logistics:
- Transportation: Trucks, trains, ships, and planes moving goods from farms to factories and then to markets.
- Warehousing: Large buildings used to store goods before they are sold.
- Retail: Shops, vegetable vendors, and malls selling goods to consumers.
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Professional Services:
- Doctors, nurses, teachers, lawyers.
- Technicians repairing mobiles, mechanics fixing cars.
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Financial & Communication Services:
- Banking: Managing money for businesses and individuals.
- Communication: Internet services, mobile networks, software development.
- Hospitality: Hotels and restaurants.
How it Connects
Imagine a farmer grows tomatoes (Primary).
- Transport: A truck driver (Tertiary) takes them to a factory.
- Factory: The factory makes ketchup (Secondary).
- Advertising/Sales: A marketing team (Tertiary) advertises it, and a shopkeeper (Tertiary) sells it to you.
Without the Tertiary sector, the tomatoes might rot on the farm, and the ketchup would never reach your table.