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This quiz looks at how industry has changed in the UK.

Modern Changes in Industry in the UK

UK industry has changed from coal and steel to services, science, and technology. This GCSE Geography quiz explores industrial patterns and why areas have grown or declined.

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Fascinating Fact:

Deindustrialisation has led to the decline of traditional heavy industries such as coal mining, shipbuilding, and steel production, especially in northern England, Scotland, and Wales.

In GCSE Geography, modern changes in UK industry focus on the shift from heavy manufacturing to services and high technology. Pupils study deindustrialisation, globalisation, new industrial locations such as business parks, and how government policies aim to reduce regional inequalities while supporting sustainable economic growth.

Key Terms

Deindustrialisation: The decline of traditional manufacturing industries, often leading to factory closures and job losses.
Tertiary sector: The part of the economy that provides services, such as retail, finance, health care, and education.
Enterprise zone: An area where governments offer incentives, such as tax breaks, to encourage businesses to locate and create jobs.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What is deindustrialisation in the UK for GCSE Geography?

In GCSE Geography, deindustrialisation describes the decline of traditional heavy industries, such as coal, steel, and shipbuilding, particularly from the late twentieth century onwards, often causing unemployment and urban decline.

How has UK industry changed in recent decades?

UK industry has shifted from heavy manufacturing towards services and high tech sectors. There has been growth in finance, research, and business parks, while many older industrial regions have lost factories and jobs.

What are the impacts of modern changes in UK industry?

Modern changes have created new skilled jobs and cleaner environments in some areas, but they have also led to regional unemployment, wider economic gaps between regions, and the need for retraining and regeneration schemes.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .

Since the Second World War, the main change of industry sector has been...

tertiary to secondary

secondary to tertiary

primary to secondary

none of the above

The manufacturing industry has sharply declined in the UK

2 .

There are several reasons that have led to changes in modern UK industry. Which of the following is not one of them?

Improved public transport

Strikes in the 1960s and 1970s

Globalisation

Cheap imports of coal, iron and steel

Heavy industry could not compete in the postwar (after the Second World War) global marketplace

3 .

In areas where there have been large increases in unemployment when heavy industries have closed, the UK government offer grants and subsidies to encourage new businesses to set up or existing businesses to expand. This is described as...

industrialisation

de-industrialisation

re-industrialisation

transhumance

A single factory or coal mine in an area like South Wales could have provided an entire community with jobs, so the loss of that industry would be locally catastrophic. Re-industrialisation replaces the heavy industry (secondary sector) with a variety of other industries, most of which are tertiary sector service industries

4 .

In the UK at the present time, approximately what percentage of the working population are employed in the tertiary sector?

At the time of writing this quiz, the figure was a little less than 80%

5 .

Since the 1950s, many clothing and footwear manufacturers have closed down. Which of the following is the most likely reason?

Textiles from India and the Far Eastern countries were cheaper

The raw materials were more difficult to obtain after the Second World War

Raw materials were a lot cheaper than before

People wore second-hand clothes rather than buying new ones

Very low labour costs and cheaper transport costs made foreign-produced textile products more affordable than those made in the UK

6 .

Which of the following is an example of a secondary sector industry?

Sheep farming

Making steel panels for vehicles

A clothes shop

All of the above

Make sure that you are aware of the different industry sectors

7 .

Since the year 2000, the number of people working in mining and quarrying has declined. What has caused this change?

Increased mechanisation

Imported stone and coal is cheaper

Exhaustion of resources in some areas

All of the above

There are also environmental pressures and regulations that increase costs of UK-mined or quarried resources

8 .

Tertiary sector industries such as shops and offices were traditionally found in town centres, however, many have moved to out-of-town retail and business parks. Which of the following is the LEAST likely to have been one of the reasons for this?

Traffic congestion

Parking

Lower costs

Easily reached on foot

A disadvantage of this trend is that people without cars find shopping and getting to work more difficult unless they live quite close to the retail or business park

9 .

Which of the following statistics about the numbers of people employed in each sector is the most likely to represent the workforce of a LEDC?

23% primary, 5% secondary, 72% tertiary/quaternary

24% primary, 23% secondary, 53% tertiary/quaternary

80% primary, 3% secondary, 17% tertiary/quaternary

20% primary, 40% secondary, 60% tertiary/quaternary

The fourth option doesn't add up to 100% and so must be wrong - in your exam, watch out for little things like that as it can help narrow down the choices. A large proportion of the workforce involved in the primary sector is a good indicator that a country is a LEDC

10 .

The tertiary sector is also known as the...

service sector

support sector

private sector

office sector

As the heavy industries of the secondary sector have closed down, new and existing business have developed in the tertiary sector

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - How the UK economy is changing in the 21st century

Author: Kev Woodward (PGCE, Science & Chemistry Teacher, Quiz Writer)