Cambridge O Level Pakistan Studies: Industrial Development — Practice Questions

These are original practice questions written in the style of Cambridge O Level Pakistan Studies (2059) assessment objectives. They are not taken from any past paper and are not endorsed by Cambridge International.

Related: Industrial Development study guide and revision notes

These two Paper 2 style questions cover Section 5 Industrial development, each worth 25 marks in parts (a) to (d). Question 1 is about manufacturing location and the formal and informal sectors; Question 2 about government promotion, call centres and tourism. Resource figures are illustrative.

Question 1: Where industry locates

Fig. 1.1 (described): a map of Pakistan marking cement plants near Dera Ghazi Khan, Daudkhel, Pezu and Thatta; fertiliser plants near Daharki and Sadiqabad; and a steel mill at Port Qasim.

(a) (i) Using Fig. 1.1, name the industry located at Port Qasim. [1]

(ii) Define the term raw material. [1]

(iii) Using Fig. 1.1, describe the distribution of cement plants. [3]

(b) (i) Explain why fertiliser plants are located near Daharki and Sadiqabad. [3]

(ii) Explain why the steel mill was built on the coast rather than inland. [3]

(c) A Sialkot football is stitched by hand in a village home, then packed and exported by a registered factory.

(i) State whether village stitching is part of the formal or informal sector, and give a reason. [2]

(ii) Explain the advantages to Pakistan of the informal sector. [4]

(d) “The informal sector does more harm than good to Pakistan’s development.” Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer. [8]

Question 2: Promoting industry and services

Fig. 2.1 (illustrative): employment in an export processing zone.

Year	Firms	Workers
Year 1	40	6,000
Year 5	95	15,500
Year 10	150	24,000

(a) (i) Using Fig. 2.1, calculate the increase in workers between Year 1 and Year 10. [1]

(ii) Name one export processing zone in Pakistan. [1]

(iii) Describe three characteristics of an export processing zone. [3]

(b) Explain why the government has set up export processing zones and industrial estates. [4]

(c) (i) Name one natural attraction and one cultural attraction in Pakistan, and describe each briefly. [4]

(ii) Explain how global communications make call-centre jobs possible in Pakistan’s cities. [3]

(d) Assess whether developing tourism is a feasible way of increasing employment and GDP in the mountain areas of northern Pakistan. [9]

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Mark scheme: Question 1

(a) (i) Iron and steel [1].

(ii) A natural substance from which a product is made, for example limestone for cement [1].

(iii) Any three: scattered rather than clustered [1]; most in northern and western Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (D.G. Khan, Daudkhel, Pezu) [1]; one in southern Sindh near Thatta [1]; close to hill ranges (Sulaiman, Salt Range) rather than the central plains [1]; none shown in Balochistan’s interior [1].

(b) (i) Natural gas is the raw material (feedstock) for urea [1] and the fuel for the plant [1]; Daharki lies near gas fields in upper Sindh and Sadiqabad is close by, linked by pipeline [1]; both are in farming areas that buy the fertiliser [1]. Maximum 3.

(ii) Iron ore and coking coal are mostly imported [1] and are bulky and heavy [1], so a site at the port avoids costly inland transport [1]; the coast also provided flat land and water for cooling [1]; Karachi supplies labour and a market [1]. Maximum 3.

(c) (i) Informal [1], because the home worker is unregistered, has no contract and pays no tax [1].

(ii) Any four: jobs for people without formal qualifications, especially rural women and migrants [1]; little capital needed to start [1]; cheap goods and services for poor households [1]; recycling of scrap and waste [1]; flexible, low-cost subcontracting that helps exporters stay competitive [1]; a training ground where people learn skills [1].

(d) Levels: Level 3 (6–8) balanced, developed, judgement; Level 2 (3–5); Level 1 (1–2).

Harm: low productivity and pay keep households poor; no tax revenue for schools and hospitals; child and bonded labour, for example in some brick kilns; unsafe workshops; firms cannot get bank credit so stay small. Good: employs millions who would otherwise be unemployed; supplies formal exporters such as Sialkot’s sports-goods firms; provides cheap transport, repairs and food; recycles materials. A judgement might be that it does more good than harm in the short term, but the long-term aim should be to formalise it.

Mark scheme: Question 2

(a) (i) 18,000 workers [1].

(ii) Karachi, Sialkot, Risalpur, Gujranwala, Gwadar, Saindak or Duddar [1].

(iii) Any three: fenced, secure site [1]; ready-built factory sheds and serviced plots [1]; reliable power, water and gas [1]; duty-free import of machinery and raw materials [1]; tax concessions [1]; most output exported [1]; quick customs clearance on site [1].

(b) Any four developed points: to attract foreign investment [1] and technology [1]; to earn foreign exchange through exports and reduce the trade deficit [1]; to create jobs [1]; to spread industry away from Karachi and Lahore to areas such as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan [1]; to give small firms serviced plots they could not build themselves [1].

(c) (i) Two marks each: name [1] and brief description [1]. Natural: for example Fairy Meadows, a high grassland with views of Nanga Parbat; Deosai Plains, a high plateau with wildflowers and wildlife. Cultural: for example the Makli necropolis near Thatta, with carved tombs; Takht-i-Bahi, a Buddhist monastery near Mardan; Rohtas Fort near Jhelum.

(ii) Fibre-optic and internet links let calls and data travel cheaply to customers abroad [1]; firms in Lahore, Karachi or Islamabad can answer calls or process data for overseas companies in real time [1]; English-speaking graduates and lower wages give a cost advantage [1].

(d) Levels: Level 3 (7–9); Level 2 (4–6); Level 1 (1–3).

Feasible because: world-class scenery (Karakoram peaks, Hunza, Deosai, Fairy Meadows); domestic tourism has grown with better roads such as the Karakoram Highway and the motorway to the Kaghan area; jobs for guides, porters, drivers, hotel and restaurant staff, craft sellers; foreign mountaineers spend in foreign currency, which adds to GNP. Less feasible because: heavy snow and landslides close roads in winter, so jobs are seasonal; limited hotels, power and water; security perceptions deter some foreign visitors; litter, sewage and unplanned building harm fragile valleys; much of the money may go to outside companies. A judgement such as “feasible if access, infrastructure and environmental controls improve” earns the top level.

Frequently asked questions

What does “describe the distribution” require? According to the 2059 glossary, refer to where the features are in relation to others shown, such as provinces and rivers, and to their density in particular areas.

How do I get the reason mark in a formal/informal question? Say what makes the work informal: no registration, no contract, no tax, no legal protection.

Should tourism answers include foreign and domestic visitors? Yes. Domestic tourists make up most visitors to the northern areas, while foreign visitors bring foreign exchange, so both affect jobs and GDP.