What is manufacturing?
Manufacturing is the production of goods in large quantities after processing from raw materials to more valuable products. It involves converting primary materials into finished goods through secondary activities.
For example, paper is manufactured from wood, sugar from sugarcane, iron and steel from iron ore, and aluminium from bauxite. Clothes are manufactured from yarn, which itself is an industrial product.
Manufacturing industries fall under the secondary sector and are considered the backbone of economic development. The economic strength of a country is measured by the development of manufacturing industries.
Explanation
The textbook provides a clear definition of manufacturing on multiple occasions. The primary definition states that manufacturing is the production of goods in large quantities after processing from raw materials to more valuable products. The context also explains that people employed in secondary activities manufacture primary materials into finished goods, and provides concrete examples like paper from wood, sugar from sugarcane, iron and steel from iron ore. The importance of manufacturing is highlighted as it forms the backbone of economic development.