BASIC INDUSTRY: CHARACTERISTICS, TYPES AND EXAMPLES - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The basic industry, also called base, is the industry that is responsible for obtaining and transforming raw materials from their most primary phase and, in this way, creating semi-finished products that later other industries will use in the production of the final goods intended to consumption.

They are generally heavy industries, since they consume very large amounts of raw materials. In addition, these types of industries usually require very high capital investments, given the amount of resources they are responsible for transforming.

characteristics

In relation to this type of industry there are some aspects to consider. Despite the wide variety of products and services that come from basic industries, there are certain common characteristics:

Raw Materials

The vast majority of these industries are characterized by working from different raw materials in their initial phase.

Semi-finished products

The base industries are responsible for producing semi-finished products, so that later other industries use them in the manufacture of the final products.

Big investments, less competition

These industries are dedicated to producing heavy machinery and, therefore, the initial investment is very high. Very few companies are interested in entering these types of industries (or cannot afford it), so competition is scarce.

Highly qualified staff

While other simpler industries can survive and function with personnel of all skill levels, in these types of industries workers must be highly trained in order to function efficiently.

Environmental impact

Due to the amount of waste they generate, whether it is gases released into the air or waste that ends up in rivers, these industries are the ones that can create the most environmental danger.

Types of basic industries

The basic industries are very numerous; however, we can divide them into extractive, steel, metallurgical and chemical industries.

Extractive industries

The extractive industries are those that are responsible for, as the name suggests, extracting raw materials directly from nature. In this group are industries such as mining, oil or wood.

Mining industry

Mining is the industry dedicated to extracting minerals that are found directly in the ground or subsoil.

It can be divided into metallic and non-metallic or quarry mining. Metal mining is generally used for the production and manufacture of industrial products, while quarrying is often used for building materials, decoration, etc.

Examples of minerals (metal mining):

- Gold.

- Silver.

- Copper.

- Lead.

Examples of minerals (non-metallic mining):

- Granite.

- Marble.

- Clay.

- Esmeralda.

- Sapphire.

Oil industry

This great industry is the one that is dedicated to extracting and exploiting oil, a non-renewable raw material that is widely used for the production of various goods, such as plastics or fuels such as gasoline. This industry divides its action into three phases:

- Upstream, dedicated to the search and production of oil.

- Midstream, the part dedicated to transporting, processing and storing oil.

- Downstream, the final part, which is the one that refines, sells and distributes the oil.

Despite its great utility and economic benefits for certain countries, this industry also has its risks. As it is an insoluble liquid, it takes a lot of work to clean, and its combustion releases some gases that are harmful to the environment, such as carbon dioxide (CO ₂).

Wood and paper industry

This industry is dedicated to the processing of wood: from its extraction (by planting and cutting down trees) to its subsequent transformation into products that will be used to produce goods such as furniture or paper.

Product examples

- Cellulose

- Construction material (wood)

Steel industries

The iron and steel industry is in charge of extracting iron ore for its subsequent treatment. In this way, they create a wide variety of alloys from this material for later use in various industries.

One of the most common alloys that these industries produce is steel (iron-carbon alloy). The production of this material is very complex and is carried out in the so-called integral steel mills and steelworks, plants dedicated exclusively to its production.

Product examples

- Irons.

- Steel tubes.

- Beams.

- Railroad rails.

- Pipelines.

Metallurgical industries

This industry is the one in charge of obtaining metals from metallic ores. Unlike the steel industry, metallurgy is also applied to other minerals, not only to iron (copper, aluminum, titanium, bronze, among others).

The production process is similar to the steel industry, but working with a wider range of minerals, so we could say that the steel industry is a metallurgical company specialized in iron and steel.

Product examples

- Tin plates.

- Zinc alloys.

- Copper pieces.

- Aluminum sheets.

- Bronze pieces.

Chemical industries

Within the chemical industries, the one that belongs to the group of basic industries is the basic chemical industry. This is the one that is responsible for the transformation of natural raw materials into substances necessary for other industries, such as gases or chemical solutions.

The other part of the chemical industry is the transformation industry, which is responsible for making products for final consumption. In this are fertilizers, pesticides and medicines, among others.

Therefore, the substances produced by basic chemical industries are essential for industries such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics or food.

Examples of substances

- Methanol.

- Hydrochloric acid.

- Sulfuric acid.

- Acetylene.

- Ethylene.

- Nitric acid.

References

1. Encyclopedia of Examples "Heavy Industry". (2017).
2. Margueron, Jean-Claude (2002). "The metals used and their geographical origin". The Mesopotamians. Madrid: Chair.
3. Spanish Association of Petroleum Products Operators
4. Parry, Robert W. (1973). Chemistry: experimental foundations. Reverte. p. 703
5. Hartman, Howard L. (1992). SME Mining Engineering Handbook. Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration Inc.