ABSTRACT
Primary production is a major element in the economies of many Third World countries. Agriculture remains important as the source of rural subsistence, to sustain urban populations, to provide raw materials for industry, and to earn export revenue. The production of minerals is also a crucial sector of primary activity and, as Figure 6.1 indicates, they are a major source of export earnings for some Third World countries, particularly in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. However, a key element in development strategies since 1945 has been to reduce such dependence on the primary sector, by trying to establish a secondary sector dimension to the economy, through the development of manufacturing industry. To sustain this, and to foster a broader social and economic modernization, improvements in infrastructure have also been given priority. A key element in infrastructure for industry and for urban and rural improvement has been in the provision of energy. Export earnings from minerals, 1990 https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9780203754092/06944f7e-d722-42c7-900a-4004781a938b/content/fig6_1_B.tif" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/> Source of data: World Bank, 1992
