What distinguishes primary industries from other types?

Primary industries are characterized by their role in extracting and utilizing natural resources directly from the environment. This includes sectors such as agriculture, mining, forestry, and fishing, where the primary goal is to harvest or extract raw materials that can be used for various purposes.

The distinction of primary industries lies in their direct interaction with natural resources, as they do not engage in the alteration or transformation of these resources into finished products; that function falls within secondary industries, which focus on manufacturing goods from those raw materials. Other sectors, such as tertiary industries, primarily provide services rather than goods. Therefore, the extraction of natural resources is what fundamentally sets primary industries apart from other types of economic activities.