Download Regional Geography - Core

Regional Geography - Core
The Dublin Region
The Dublin region is made up of Dublin city and
county. It is the Republic's smallest but most
populous region. It is an urban region. Only a small
part of Dublin still retains its rural character.
Physical processes in the Dublin Region
The Dublin region has a lowland(0m-200m above
sea level) landscape with the exception of the
Dublin Mountains to the south. The Rivers Liffey
and Tolka are the main rivers of the region. The
coast is generally low-lying and characterised by
features of deposition such as beaches and spits. In
the Killiney area to the South, the coast rises to
form a coast of erosion with cliffs and related
landforms.
Climate: The Climate of the Dublin region is
similar to that of Ireland as a whole i.e. Cool
Temperatre Oceanic (Maritime Climate).
Apart from the Dublin Mts., Dublin receives less
rainfall than the West of Ireland because Atlantic
depressions have lost much of their moisture when
they reach the east coast.
Dublin receives an average of 4 hours of sunshine
per day, annual temperature range is from 5 C in
January to 16 C in Summer. The growing season
(farming) is about 270 days in length.
Primary Economic Activities in Dublin
Agriculture
County Dublin has about 1,500 farms, a very small
proportion of the 132,000 farms in the Republic.
Nevertheless, the farms of Co. Dublin are very
productive. They produce 11% of the national wheat
crop and 15% of the national potato crop.
Well-drained brown earth soils and the lowland
landscape of the region are suitable for tillage.
The farming area north of the city specialises in
market gardening.(Vegetables and salad crops). The
reasons for this specialisation include the following:
The proximity of areas such as Lusk, Rush and
Swords to the sea greatly reduce the risk of frost in
spring time
The lower rainfall and longer hours of sunshine than
on the western seaboard reduces the risk of potato
blight
This factors also aid the soil that is suitable for
tillage and crop cultivation. A large urban market of
1.2 million people exists nearby. The high land
values in the region demand that farming be as
intensive as possible.
Physical, economic and human factors interact in
farming the region. Lowland farms with fertile soils,
farmers who are prepared to invest in technology
such as greenhouses, and a large wealthy market
combine to make north Co. Dublin a very productive
agricultural region.
Fishing
Fishing in the villages of Howth and Skerries are
important fishing ports in the region. Fish from the
Irish Sea is brought ashore for the Dublin market.
The Irish sea fishing grounds have been overfished
for several decades and the long term future of the
fishing Industry is uncertain.
Secondary Economic Activities
Patterns in manufacturing activities
Manufacturing is very strong in the Dublin region.
The Dublin region is the location of a quarter of all
the manufacturing plants of the state. It is therefore
the most important manufacturing region in the
entire state.
The range of manufacturing is very wide. Traditional
sectors such as brewing and distilling, food
processing and clothing are located in the region.
However, the star performers in recent years are in
growth industries such as healthcare, computers and
related fields in Internet Technology and electronics.
Manufacturing employs some 70,000 people in the
region. Manufacturing is also characterised by big
Industrial plants employing larger numbers of
workers, high output per worker and higher wages
than the national average:
The reasons why Dublin has a strong manufacturing
sector are:
Dublin Port - this is the premier port of the state - it
is the point of entry for many resource materials
required in manufacturing processes.
The Dublin region and its hinterland provide an
affluent market for consumer industries that include
processed foods and beverages, fashion and daily
and weekly publications.
Dublin is the centre of Ireland's road and rail
networks. Road and Rail connections to the different
provinces give Dublin manufacturers access to a
countrywide market.
Dublin has the largest airport in the state with
European and worldwide connections. The
proximity of the airport to the city is a big advantage
for the business community.
The Greater Dublin area has a large pool of skilled
labour that meets the needs of Industry. Many
people live in large towns in Navan or Naas and
work in Dublin.
Third-level educational centres release thousand of
graduates annually to the jobs market who are
qualified in the sciences, business, marketing and
electronics.
2008 HL Q6 (b)
(B) Ireland
Examine the development of primary economic
activities in an Irish region that you have studied.