We explain what they are and what the economic sectors are. Also, the characteristics of each one. We analyze those of Mexico and Colombia.

What are economic sectors?
The economic sectors classify the productive activity of a State or territory based on its different stages. In other words, an economic sector represents a specific segment of the production circuit, which traditionally it can be primary, secondary and tertiary depending on what place it occupies in the general production chain.
That is to say, every productive circuit is broken down into economic sectors, within which it is possible to find very diverse activities, which have common characteristics. For example, the initial activity of any production process is the collection of raw materials, which is why it is the primary sector that is in charge of this, whether it is minerals, organic substances, food, etc.
Primary sector

The primary sector or extraction sector is the initial sector of the circuit. Your work consists of obtaining the raw material directly from the natural environment. This work often involves industrial sites in the environment, so it has a significant ecological impact.
Products from the primary sector, despite their importance, are the ones with the least added value in the chain since they serve as a supply for the secondary sector, and rarely go directly to the final consumer. And the more stops the product makes on its way to it, the more added value it will accumulate. For this reason, many underdeveloped economies subsist exclusively on the sale of raw materials, being forced to import processed products.
Examples of primary sector activities are livestock farming, agriculture, fishing, mining, the logging industry, etc.
Secondary sector

The secondary sector or transforming sector, is responsible for processing and transforming raw materials supplied by the primary sector in a consumer good, ready for distribution and marketing, or a semi-finished product that will feed other industries in the secondary sector.
This process normally involves the intervention of specialized machinery, if not physical-chemical procedures that can be an important source of contamination, although not as much as the primary sector.
Once the manufactured product leaves the secondary sector, it is ready for consumption and will therefore have accumulated added value, that is, it will be more expensive, since different energy, industrial processes, labor, etc. were involved in its manufacturing. For that reason, This sector is the most developed by industrial powers of the world.
Examples of secondary sector industries are construction, the manufacturing industry, the energy industry and also mining (it is considered both the first and second sectors).
Tertiary sector

The tertiary sector or service sector is responsible for supplying the various economic actors (final consumers and intermediate segments) with various services, instead of processed products. That is to say, These are service providers whether administrative, logistical, technical, distribution, communications, etc.
The tertiary sector It is the sector with the greatest employment and greatest growth in the contemporary world and one of the sectors that still has the lowest degree of automation and mechanization.
Examples of tertiary sector industries are hospitality companies, material transporters, travel agencies, human resources companies, etc.
Continue in: Tertiary sector
Quaternary sector
There is often talk of the emergence at the beginning of the 21st century of a quaternary sector, composed of specialists and professionals dedicated to research, development and innovation tasks whose main axis is the generation and management of knowledge. This sector includes high-tech companies, universities, etc.
Quinary sector
The quinary sector includes non-routine and non-profit production services such as culture, education, entertainment and art. However, few economists refer to the existence of a quinary sector. Also included within this area are the domestic activities that a person carries out within their home.
Public and private sector
Private sector ventures only require the State as a regulatory framework. We will often hear about the public sector and the private sector. In this case, it is not about economic sectors, but about social sectors: the segments in which a society can be understood.
There are many of them, but these two are extremely important because they concentrate the fundamental separation between public life and private life, or as Roman law established it, the beef public and private.
So, The public sector is one that is administered by the government that is, by the State. It is made up of public companies, state organizations, institutions (ministries, registries, etc.), all under the organization of state criteria, that is, everything being property of the entire society.
Instead, The private sector is that of individuals of third parties that carry out initiatives, ventures and organizations with their own capital and without requiring the State except to guarantee the minimum operating framework of the law. Any type of business is a perfect example of the private sector, supported by private property.
Economic sectors in Mexico
The Mexican economy is the second largest in Latin America (after Brazil). Agricultural production plays a vital role in it, contributing almost a quarter of the nation's GDP, with horticulture and the export of tropical fruits and vegetables being its spearheads.
The same happens with oil, an important source of income today. That is to say that in Mexico, as in almost all of the so-called “Third World”, the primary sector takes precedence in importance of the economy.
However, another important and growing sector is the energy sector, administered by the State, and an enormous contribution from the service sector linked to tourism, hotels and gastronomy, given that Mexico is one of the most visited tourist countries on the planet.
Economic sectors in Colombia
Like many of the countries in the South American region, Colombia is a country in which The primary sector is the most important, due to its enormous exports of coffee, flowers and food meat, which support a very high percentage of its economy, being industries with a long history and very high demand abroad.
However, In recent decades the service sector has grown enormously especially those linked to health, commerce, transportation and telecommunications. This, however, has had a positive impact on the primary and secondary sectors, allowing greater effectiveness of their work and greater performance.
Continue with: Infrastructure
References
- “Economic sector” in Wikipedia.
- “Economic sectors” in Banrepcultural.
- “Private sector versus public sector” in Information Station.