Social Studies and Civic Knowledge
The Social Studies and Civic Knowledge section tests how Kiribati is governed, how citizens take part, and how the country's history and economy shape its place in the Pacific.
Core knowledge
- Independence: 12 July 1979 from Britain. Kiribati is a republic and a Commonwealth member, with the Beretitenti (President) as head of state and government - not the British monarch.
- Parliament: the Maneaba ni Maungatabu ('meeting house of the whole land') makes law. The Beretitenti is chosen from among its members and then confirmed by a national vote.
- Local government: island councils, plus urban councils on Betio, South Tarawa and Kiritimati, deliver local services.
- Groups: Gilbert, Phoenix and Line Islands. Banaba is a raised coral island in the Gilbert group, mined for phosphate, and many Banabans were resettled on Rabi Island in Fiji.
- 1995: Kiribati moved the International Date Line so all its islands share the same working day; Kiritimati is among the first places in the world to see a new year.
- Economy: fishing licence fees, copra, remittances, and the Revenue Equalisation Reserve Fund built from phosphate earnings.
Worked example
How does someone become Beretitenti? Reasoning: First they must be a member of the Maneaba ni Maungatabu. The House then nominates a short list - the Constitution allows not fewer than three and not more than four candidates - by secret ballot. Those names go to the electorate, and the country votes by universal adult suffrage. The winner serves a four-year term and may serve a maximum of three terms. The system is deliberately hybrid: parliament nominates, the people decide.
Traps that cost marks
Saying the King or a Governor-General is head of state; confusing the Beretitenti with the Speaker; placing Rabi Island inside Kiribati when it is in Fiji; mixing 1979 with the 1995 date line change.