View student writing samples for Question 3 of the 2012 AP Human Geography FRQ and corresponding feedback provided by Fiveable TA Harrison Burnside.

Practice FRQ Prompt

This question is from the 2012 AP Human Geography Exam. Time yourself at 15 minutes and use exam-like conditions.

European countries have experienced an increase in Muslim population in recent decades. The map above shows the distribution and proportion of Muslims by country.

• A. Identify Countries X, Y, and Z on the map above.

• B. Explain two reasons for the increase in Muslim immigration to one of these countries since 1950.

• C. For the country you selected in part b, discuss the impacts of the Muslim population increase on the country’s

  • i. urban spatial organization

  • ii. population structure

  • iii. social relations

FRQ Student Answers and Feedback

Practice Submission 1

A) Country x is representing France, Z representing Germany and Y representing the Netherlands.

B) One reason for an increase in Muslim immigration to France is because France was in a higher stage of development than many Muslim-majority countries. This higher stage of the demographic transition model has benefits such as access to higher paying jobs, that they would most likely not be able to find (or would be much rarer) in a country of a lower stage. Another reason would be because Muslims may be the target of religious persecution in their home countries and were forced to become refugees and flee in order to survive. They chose to liv in France because they had more lenient immigration policies than other European countries.

C) 1. The special organization of urban areas may have been shifted to adapt for more tenement housing and densely populated areas of Muslim majority. There may be more people in these urban areas than before, as supported by Ravenstein’s law that long distance migrants are more likely to move to urban areas.

2. The population structure shifted to having more young people. This is because most migrants are young adults as provided in Ravenstein’s laws.

3. France’s relations with countries that did not accept as many migrants may be stressed. This may be due to a difference in social values, such as the acceptance of people from other religions.

TA Feedback

A) 1/1 pt for naming all 3 countries correctly! B) 2/2 pts for explaining both reasons! I would have liked to see further explanation on reason #1 by maybe talking about sending remittances to the home country, but good overall. Maybe for your second reason, give a specific country for your explanation. e.g: israel/palestine C) 2/3 pts for parts 1 & 2 . I love how you backed up your answers with migration laws. I would have liked to have seen more description of HOW the social values are different and maybe talking more about countries with anti-immigration policies. OVERALL) 5/6 points!! Awesome FRQ writing.

Practice Submission 2

A. Country X is France, country Z is Germany and country Y is the Netherlands.

B. One reason Muslim immigration has increased to Germany is political instability. Many Muslim immigrants were forced to leave their country because of unsafe living conditions caused by violence. State sponsored terrorism and government persecution is rampant across the Middle East. For example, many Muslim refugees were forced to flee Syria because violence in their country caused by the corrupt government. Another reason Muslim immigration has increased to Germany is that Germany has a higher standard of living than their country of origin. Many immigrants migrate to try to have a better lifestyle for them and their family. As a developed country, education in Germany is at a higher standard which increases job opportunities later in life. Many residents in Germany also have access to surplus income that can be spent on things other than housing and food. Germany is also not as dense as some heavily populated Muslim countries, which give families greater living space.

C. (i)Increased Muslim immigration leads to the formation of ethnic enclaves in the urban setting. Many immigrants migrate to areas that have people who share their culture. Through the process of chain migration, many families populate certain areas of a city which may eventually be inhabited by a certain group of people. An increased Muslim population will make these cultural enclaves more distinct as Muslim immigrants populate similar areas.|

(ii)Increased Muslim immigration will lead to increased fertility rates and a larger young population. First generation immigrants are more likely to have a lot of children compared to future generations because they want to be financially secure. Increasing rates of Muslim immigrants will also increase the fertility rates of that country and may shift the demographics of the population. For many developed countries in Europe that lack a young population, increasing immigration of migrants can lessen the elder dependency ratio that currently exists.|

(iii)Increasing Muslim immigration in Germany has created cultural tension. Xenophobia, or the fear of immigrants, has increased as more people of distinct cultures have entered the country. This difference in cultures has led many Germans to call for closed borders. Many Germans believe Muslim immigrants are taking away their jobs and have increased violence in the country. Differences in their culture and religion are also factors behind the cultural tension.|

TA Feedback

A) 1/1 pt for naming all 3 countries correctly! B) 2/2 pts for explaining both reasons! I love the expanded responses. Great job with your concise answers but lengthy explanations. C) 3/3 pts for all of your great explanations! I LOVE how you make connections from a --> b --> c --> d --> e in your responses instead of just jumping from a --> e. OVERALL) 6/6 points!! Awesome FRQ writing. If this were the real AP exam, you would have done awesome!

Practice Submission 3

A. Country X is France. Country Y is the Netherlands, and country Z is Germany.

B. Since the 1950s, there has been a great number of Muslim immigrants to Germany immigrating from Turkey. A factor that contribute to it is the guest worker programs in Germany. Germany has a aging population, so they have a number of programs to attract immigrants. Another factor is the constant conflicts in Turkey may push the immigrants out.

C. The urban spatial organizations in Germany can be affected as well. For example, ethnic enclaves can be formed along with ethnic neighborhoods. The population structure can be affected as well. With the number of young male Muslim immigrants, the age structure and the sex ratio will be affected as well. Thirdly, social relations might be affected when the immigrants poses a threat to national unity. Then, the receiving country may pass bills to limit migration or to limit the migrants in the country.

TA Feedback

A) 1/1 pt for naming all 3 countries correctly! B) 2/2 pts for explaining both reasons! I would have liked to see further explanation on reason #1 by maybe talking about sending remittances to the home country with guest workers, but good overall. i would have also liked some more explanation on the conflicts in turkey. Reason #2 was a gift point. C) 3/3 pts for parts 1, 2, and 3 . I would have liked to see even more vocab words in your responses (quota, centrifugal forces, etc.). You need to work on lengthening your explanations and discussions because the real AP rubric might not award ANY points for this response. OVERALL) 6/6 points

Practice Submission 4

A. Country X is France. Country Y is the Netherlands. Country Z is Germany.

B. One reason that there would be an increase in Muslim immigration to France since 1950 is because of its proximity to North Africa which has a predominantly Islamic population. According to Ravenstein’s Laws of Migration, people are most likely to travel to core areas in close proximity. France is part of the core region of Western Europe, and is one of the closest countries to North Africa. These core areas will present more economic opportunity for immigrants. Another reason there could be increased Muslim migrant population is because of political conflict in Islamic dominant areas. Southwest Asia and parts of North Africa have had a relatively high amount of conflict and political unrest in the past few decades. This could be a political push factor.

C. With an increased Islamic migrant population in France, the country could see shifts in urban spatial organization like an emergence of ethnic enclaves. Islamic populations are likely to cluster together especially in urban areas causing ethnic enclaves become prevalent. With these ethnic enclaves, services catering to an Islamic population may become more prevalent. These could include more mosques and Islamic restaurants. With an Increased Islamic population, France will experiences in population structure. There will be higher fertility rates and a larger young population. This is because North Africa and other Islamic areas where these migrants are coming form are for the most part developing countries. This means that they are in stage 2 or 3 of the demographic transition model. A change France may experience in social relations is more social tension as the population starts to diversify. Europe in general has been somewhat ethnically homogenous, and some people may see large immigrant populations as a threat to their culture and nation.

TA Feedback

A) 1/1 pt for naming all 3 countries correctly! B) 2/2 pts for explaining both reasons! I LOVE how you backed up your answers with migration laws. Makes me very happy.  C) 3/3 pts for parts 1 & 2 & 3. I love the reference to the DTM for your reasoning! OVERALL) 6/6 points! Awesome FRQ writing.  If this were the real AP exam, you would have done great!

Practice Submission 5

A) Country X is France, country Y is the Netherlands, and country Z is Germany.

B) In France, one reason why there would be an increase in Muslim immigrants is that it is an area with many pull factors. There are more job opportunities, housing opportunities, less possible discrimination, and less oppression; this is due to France being a developed country. Immigrants would want to leave less developed countries in favor for more developed countries. Another reason for the immigration may be chain migration; as Muslims start to immigrate to France, more Muslims will also decide to follow and be near individuals with similar characteristics (friends and family).

C)

i. The increase of Muslims in France may have affected its urban spatial organization by getting more individuals immigrating to big cities. When immigrants immigrate they tend to settle in bigger cities, this will increase the number of individuals living in the cities, thus causing a need for more housing/living space.

ii. The increase of Muslims in France may also cause an increased population, in particularly young men. Immigrants are more likely to be young men when the migration is international. The population pyramid of France will eventually see more young children as well; immigrants may be more accustomed to having more children, thus making more future citizens/parents.

iii. The countries’ social relations may also change as an impact. Some areas will not accept the countries’ Muslim population and want to cut off trade/interaction.

TA Feedback

A) 1/1 pt for naming all 3 countries correctly! B) 2/2 pts for explaining both reasons! i love the expanded lengthy responses. C) 3/3 pts for all of your great explanations! I LOVE how you make connections from a --> b --> c --> d --> e in your responses #1 & 2 instead of just jumping from a --> e. Try backing your answers up by specifically referencing the Ravenstein's Laws of Migration. OVERALL) 6/6 points!! Awesome FRQ writing!

Practice Submission 6

A. Country X is France, country Y is the Netherlands, and country Z is Germany.

B. One reason for the increase in Muslim immigration in France, is the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. When the Soviets killed the leader of the people of Afghanistan, many people migrated to France in fear for their own lives. Another reason the Muslims immigrated to France was because violence in their home region. The Taliban terrorists have been involved in ongoing violence in Afghanistan, and that causes many Muslims to migrate to France.

Ci. Because Muslims make up a total population that is greater than 5% in France, the Urban Spatial organization has lead to more people needing Jobs in the city because of the fact that most Migrants move to cities.

Cii. The population structure is impacted by the fact that the Muslims have become a larger percentage of the population, leading to more support going to the Muslim community.

Ciii. The social relations is impacted because the increase of the Muslim population leads to more people becoming aware of the violence in Afghanistan and seeing the refugees come into their country, people want to help the people affected.

TA Feedback

A) 1/1 pt for naming all 3 countries correctly! B) 2/2 pts for explaining both reasons! I love the expanded lengthy responses with clear and real-life examples. C) 3/3 pts for all of your great explanations! Try backing your answers up by specifically referencing the Ravenstein Laws of Migration. OVERALL) 6/6 points! Try to lengthen your responses if time allows, but it’s not 100% necessary.

Practice Submission 7

A) France is represented by X, Germany is represented by Z, and the Netherlands is represented by Y.

B) One reason Muslims would immigrate to Europe is because of the Syrian War. This war is causing a huge increase in Syrian refugees, and one of the closest developed countries for them to flee to is France. Another reason why muslims would immigrate to France is because it is a stage 4 country that is economically stable. This means that there are many job opportunities that also have good wages.

C) i. As France is a stage 4 country, it is densely populated especially in urban areas. With groups of Muslims moving into these urban centers there will be even more people. France might not be able to support an influx of refugees due to carrying capacity which is the amount of people an area of land can support sufficiently. Organization of people could also be affected because most cities have ethnic enclaves where these Muslim immigrants where group together. This might cause a change in the placement of other ethnic enclaves and the culture in the area.

ii. An influx of people, whether they are Muslim or not, means that France’s cities will begin to house even more young people. In particular, young adult men according Ravenstein’s Laws of Migrations which are a set of laws that say which people are mostly likely to migrate and other patterns that are a result of migration. France might also see an increase in men due to Muslims looking to find work in a more developed country to eventually support their families. This would benefit France because usually these migrant workers are willing to labor-heavy, low paying jobs because they really need the money.

iii. Despite growing acceptance, lots of countries are still not welcoming to refugees and immigrants. This creates a big problem for Muslim immigrants as they will most likely be stereotyped and discriminated upon. It might even cause them to have problems finding jobs, places to live and friends to support them. This leads to a cycle of unideal living spaces. They are frowned upon in countries that are not their home, but they can’t go home because it is an extremely unsafe environment.

TA Feedback

A) 1/1 pt for naming all 3 countries correctly! B) 2/2 pts for explaining both reasons! I love the expanded lengthy responses. C) 3/3 pts for all of your great explanations! I LOVE how you make connections from a --> b --> c --> d --> e in your responses #1 & 2 instead of just jumping from a --> e. I love how you were backing your answers up by specifically referencing the Ravenstein Laws of Migration. OVERALL) 6/6 points!! I LOVE your lengthy and awesome responses! one of the best FRQs I've reviewed.