In traditional Marshallese society, the youth learned essential skills, concepts, and attitudes through direct involvement with family and community. Persons with special knowledge or skills trained selected apprentices to preserve the skills and cultural knowledge. In 1857, the Boston Missionary Society arrived to establish church schools on 22 atolls. The missionary schools continued to exist through German and Japanese occupations of the islands until shortly before World War II.
The Republic of the Marshall Islands, is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. The population is about 62,000. In 1986 independence was attained under a Compact of Free Association with the United States.
Capital: Majuro (Delap)
Largest city: Majuro
Official languages: Marshallese, English
The Marshall Islands are a Micronesian state in the Pacific Ocean and is considered to be the “dive capital” of Micronesia. The official language of the island is English, however Japanese is also spoken in some areas. The tourism industry accounts for a small portion of the economy, but the government has recently began to undertake improvements to increase the flow of travelers to the islands.