Leaving Cert Geography Sample Answers

Sorry mixery I don't have any answers on the formation of beaches. I will be posting human electives soon so if there's anything specific you want from that or any other topic just ask.

Examine the formation of two igneous rocks, with referenceto examples from Ireland. (30 marks)

Basalt
Igneous rock is formed from the solidification of liquid molten material on or
beneath the earth’s surface. There are two main types of igneous rock. First,
igneous extrusive volcanic rock, which results from the solidification of lava on
the earth’s crust; basalt is the most common rock of this kind. Second, igneous
intrusive plutonic rock, which results from the solidification of magma beneath
the earth’s crust; granite is the most common of these.
Basalt is a volcanic, igneous extrusive rock, which is very hard, smooth and
contains very small crystals as a result of the rock’s rapid cooling. In Northern
Ireland, liquid molten material broke through the earth’s crust approximately
65 million years ago as the North American and Eurasian plates diverged. As
the magma, which then becomes known as lava, broke through the weakened
crust, some of it came into contact with the sea and began to cool rapidly. This
caused the minerals in the lava to contract around regularly spaced centres,
and it cooled to form hexagonal columns of basalt. Today the Giant’s Causeway
is a major tourist attraction due to its unique volcanic landforms.

Granite
Granite is an igneous intrusive plutonic rock. It was formed due to the slow
cooling of molten magma deep within the earth’s crust. It has large crystals as
a result of this slow cooling, and its key mineral components are quartz (which
is colourless or transparent), feldspar (a reflective, flat mineral) and mica
(composed of either black or white crystals). The proportion of the different
minerals in the rock varies, creating granites of varying colours, ranging from
black/grey to red/pink.
Granite is a hard, heavy rock and is resistant to denudation. Granite has
economic potential. Today it is often quarried for use as an ornamental rock, to
make counter-tops, table-tops and headstones. Granite can be found in a
number of locations in Ireland – the most famous is the Leinster batholith in the
Dublin/Wicklow mountains, which was formed over 400 million years ago.
Granite peaks can be clearly seen on the Great and Little Sugar Loaf.

Outline the impact of changing migration policy in Ireland and the EU.
In this question you need to discuss 7–8 SRPs on each of the following sub-sections:
1 Migration policy in Ireland
2 Migration policy in the EU
1 Migration policy in Ireland
· Ireland was unprepared for the massive wave of inward migration that occurred because of the Celtic Tiger boom. It was only in February 2007 that a comprehensive migration policy was introduced. This new policy has seen a return to the work permit system, which is designed to treat migrants in a just and fair manner. (1 SRP = 2 marks)
· Workers who migrate here from the European Economic Area (EEA) can work freely and do not need a visa. The EEA consists of all the EU countries except for Romania and Bulgaria and includes Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. (1 SRP = 2 marks)
· Citizens who need a visa have to apply for a work permit from their current country of residence before entering the Republic of Ireland. The Irish government actively tries to attract the highly skilled workers particularly in specialised occupations. Highly skilled workers will be granted Green cards or work permits. Green cards for unskilled workers will be more difficult to obtain and are strictly limited. (1 SRP = 2 marks)
2007 policy document
· Since the implementation of the 2007 policy there have been four categories of permits allocated to non-EEA citizens:
1 The Green Card system is available to highly skilled people who earn over 60,000 euros per year in high value sectors such as IT, healthcare research and financial services.
2 The Work permit system is available to those whose occupation earns them 30,000–60,000 euros per year and this permit is granted for an initial period of two years.
3 The Intra Company Transfer Permit is a temporary permit for management of multi-national companies or corporations.
4 The Spousal and Dependent Permit is offered to spouses and dependents of employment permit holders. (2 SRPs = 4 marks)
Statistic
The number of work permits in Ireland increased by 700% between 1995 and 2005.
Point to note:
The 4 categories of permits allowed in Ireland are:
1 Green Card system
2 Work permit system
3 Intra Company Transfer Permit
4 Spousal and Dependent Permit
Key aspects of the policy
1 Green cards are to be granted to the employee rather than the employer to allow the employee to move jobs, in order to change the perception of foreign workers as bonded labour.
2 Workers with green cards can apply for immediate family reunification and they can have permanent residence in Ireland as long as the green card lasts.
3 Employers may not deduct recruitment expenses from their wages or hold on to their professional documents.
4 Non-nationals may apply for citizenship after five years.
5 Asylum seekers are not permitted to work until they are granted refugee status.
6 Students are allowed to come to study in Ireland without a visa. (3 SRPs = 6 marks)
· Since the implementation of the policy migrant workers now have the same employment protection as Irish workers. (1 SRP = 2 marks)
· Despite the fact that asylum seekers are not allowed work until their application for refugee status is processed they do now have certain rights such as accommodation, healthcare and welfare support in the form of a weekly allowance. (1 SRP = 2 marks)
· If refugee status is attained they have the same rights as Irish workers and if it is rejected they are to be deported. Refugee status has become more difficult to attain in Ireland since a referendum in 2004 removed the automatic right to citizenship for Irish-born children of non-national parents. (1 SRP = 2 marks)
2 Migration policy in the EU
· Many EU countries need migrants to sustain economic development as they have reached stage 5 of the Demographic Transition Model and they are experiencing a natural decrease in population. Ireland attracted many migrants from Eastern Europe during the Celtic Tiger era, mostly to work the low-paid jobs that Irish people did not want to do. (1 SRP = 2 marks)
· Within the EU a series of treaties has allowed all its citizens to move freely and work freely in any other member state. Within the EU only Ireland and the UK still have controls at their borders. (1 SRP = 2 marks)
· Through the EU Council of Seville 2002 and other treaties the EU aims to develop a common system for immigration and asylum and to create a single external border control strategy, i.e. to set up Fortress Europe. (1 SRP = 2 marks)
· The key aspects of the policy would be:
1 A common border control and uniform measures towards asylum seekers.
2 A sharing of the responsibility by countries. Portugal, Spain and Italy bear the greatest burden as they are geographically closest to North Africa, the source of many migrants.
3 Through Europol, border co-operation between countries could strengthen the fight against human trafficking into the EU.
4 Eurodac, a newly established database to track illegal migrants, could quickly detain and deport those whose applications for refugee status were rejected. (2 SRP = 4m)
· Fortress Europe is being created as xenophobia and asylum fatigue has emerged in most European societies. Denmark is an example of an EU country where this has occurred. As of 2006, much more severe measures have been implemented in Denmark to reduce the number of refugees being accepted:
o Welfare payments have been reduced by half
o Full residency will not be allowed for 7 years after refugee status is granted
o Marriage to a Danish citizen is forbidden during those 7 years
o If the application is rejected the subject is immediately deported (2 SRP = 4 marks)

Describe and explain the distribution of population in a continental/
sub-continental region (not in Europe) that you have studied.
(30 marks)

The continental/sub-continental region I have studied is India. Population
distribution in this region has been influenced both by physical factors and
socio-economic conditions.
The greatest density of human population in India is concentrated in the
Ganges plain – in fact, almost one in every 12 of the world’s population live in
its catchment basin. This concentration of population is directly related to the
highly fertile nature of the extensive flood plain and the availability of a water
supply for agriculture, human activities and industry. However, the high density
of the population is putting increasing pressure on farmland and freshwater
supplies, and the Ganges River is now heavily polluted due to the disposal of
animal and human waste in it, and the growing concentration of industrial
activities along the basin.
In contrast, the upland regions of the western and eastern Ghats and the
highlands of the north experience very low levels of human settlement,
because the relief and harsh climatic conditions have hindered settlement and
economic activities in these regions. And while the Thar desert has
experienced significant population growth in recent decades, many of the
people are nomadic in nature, travelling from one tobas to another in search of
water, and thus the distribution of population in the area is very uneven.
Approximately 70 per cent of India’s population is rural based, concentrated
in low-lying fertile locations along river valleys and flood plains and in coastal
zones.
In recent decades, however, the rate of urbanisation has increased
significantly. This urban expansion is due to a number of critical factors,
including rural to urban migration, the concentration of secondary and tertiary
activities in urban areas, and high levels of natural increase. The distribution of
urban centres has historically been concentrated in coastal/portal locations;
key examples include Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai. In the more recent past,
inland cities have also become centres of population, and examples include
Delhi, New Delhi, Bhopal and Bangalore. The expansion of urban areas is
placing increasing pressure on water supplies, housing, health care, education
and job opportunities. Many urban areas have severe socio-economic
problems, and large number of people lack access to the basic needs of fresh
water, food, shelter and clothing.
Overall, the distribution of population in India is uneven, with very high
densities in low-lying fertile locations and urban centres, while low density
occurs in areas which experience harsh physical and climatic conditions.

Explain how isostatic changes have impacted on the Irish landscape.

Knickpoints and river terraces

Example: Both found on the R. Barrow

Isostatic processes involve changes in sea level due to the uplift or sinking of the earth's lithosphere. This is caused by the removal or addition of huge ice sheets on the land during the ice ages. The great weight of the ice pressing down on the lithosphere during the Ice Age causes it to sink slightly under the weight. This can cause a local rise in the sea level affecting only the area of land that is sinking under the weight. Once the ice has melted, the weight of great ice sheets on the land is removed. The lithosphere slowly returns to it's original level and the land is uplifted out of the sea. This process is called isostacy. The effect of isostatic processes on the Irish landscape is to affect the base level of any rivers flowing over the land. If the land is uplifted then a river's base level is lowered and it has renewed ability to erode. This is termed rejuvination.

The Formation of Knickpoints
Knickpoints are rapids and small waterfalls found in the mature or lower stage of a rivers course. They represent the place where the river once entered the sea. Due to the isostatic uplift the sea level was lowered and the river had to travel over a longer course to reach the sea. The river was rejuvinated as it was given renewed ability to cut down into the land in order to reach the sea. The rejuvinated river cuts a new profile for itself and the place where the new profile meets the old profile is seen as a knickpoint. They are visible on many Irsih rivers in the south and east regions at a height of about 150m above sea level, showing that the sea level was once this much higher around Ireland.

The formation of river terraces

When a river is rejuvinated it begins to cut down into its existing floodplain and makes a new floodplain and makes a deeper, narrower channel for itself. The rejuvinated river makes a new floodplain for itself at a lower level. The original valley floor is left hiigh above the new floodplain and is seen as steps in the land on either side of the rejuvinated river channel. These steps are called river terraces and are often seen in pairs on either side of the river. Sometimes a river can be rejuvinated more than once and so another set of terraces are formed resulting in a river valley with stepped sides. River terraces are found on the R. Barrow, Co. Kilkenny.

EvM wrote: »

Hey, if you have any on eu expansion that'd be great

The member state I have studied is Ireland. The enlargement and expansion of the EU has presented both problems and opportunities for existing members in relation to economic and sovereignty issues.

The EU has grown since its origins in 1957 to its present day number of 27 member states. The most recent additions were Romania and Bulgaria in 2007. In fact twelve members in total have joined since 2004 (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Malta and Cyprus plus two mentioned above). This almost doubling in size has seen the addition of new members who are largely peripheral and underdeveloped regions and will, at first, be beneficiaries rather than contributors to EU funding. As a result funding such as the Structural fund which had been directed towards original periphery regions (like the West of Ireland) will now be redirected to these new areas. These new EU members have a much higher reliance on agriculture (28.5%) compared to existing members (5.5% on average). While this activity provides a lot of employment it is poorly developed and policies such as the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will see much needed funds being sent for the development and modernisation of machinery to the new states. Any funding diverted to the new members is less money available for the Irish farmers who rely on the subsidies for sheep numbers, forestation and land maintenance. In addition Irish farmers will experience greater competition on the open market and may see prices drop due to the new competition provided by the new member states.

However, Ireland has benefitted from EU expansion. In recent years the Irish economy expanded rapidly and saw a highly educated and skilled workforce emerge. The recent boom also saw a gap in unskilled workers to perform the manual jobs required. The solution was provided by migrant workers from new member states such as Poland. These workers were necessary to maintain economic growth in the tourism and trade industries. In addition nurses from new member areas were necessary to compensate for the drop of nurses available in Irish hospitals. The new members also provided a larger market for Irish goods and a greater number in possible customers throughout the EU.

While EU expansion has benefitted Ireland it has meant a continued reduction in Ireland’s sovereignty. This is the rights and responsibilities of a country to govern itself. When Ireland joined the EU we agreed to a set of common trade, rights and responsibilities. Since joining the EU in 1973 we have seen a reduction in the control of Irish fishing, farming, banking and commerce laws and possible conflict with a common defence policy as Ireland tries to maintain its neutral policy.

This question could be rephrased to ask you about the Impact of EU expansion on Irelands economy and culture. To answer this you would focus on the increase of new members working in Ireland (2009=150,000 foreign workers), school children either born and / or attending schools, growth of Polish shops, increase in demand for housing (rented or to buy) and demand for extra services in the community. Culturally the language and face of Ireland has changed in recent years. Estimated 300,000 people from Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Slovakia alone. Explain the change in language, tv, advertisements and music.