The difference between light and heavy industries

The difference between light and heavy industries

Light (consumer) industries

Characteristics :

• Make small products, mainly to be bought by individuals.
• Most are small-scale, suitable for factory units on industrial estates.
• Only a limited amounts of investment capital is needed.

Examples: electrical goods, clothing, food-processing and toys.

Heavy industries

Characteristics :

• Large-scale industries.
• Big plants covering large areas of land.
• Capital intensive, big investment needed to set them up.
• Make large products often bought by other manufacturing companies.

Examples: steel, oil-refining, chemicals, engineering and ship building.

Germany - topography - cities

Urbanisation and suburbanisation

Urbanisation means an increase in the proportion of people living in urban areas compared to rural areas.

Although the Netherlands is an urban society, more and more people are choosing to live on the edge of urban areas - with many relocating to the countryside. This is called counter-urbanisation or suburbanisation.