The Marshall Islands is a small Pacific island country with a population of around 60,000. It was named after English explorer John Marshall, who visited the islands in the late 18th century. In the 1880s the Marshall Islands became a German protectorate, and during World War I Japan seized the islands. During World War II the United States captured the islands from Japan, and in 1947 the United States entered into an agreement with the United Nations Security Council to administer the Marshall Islands as the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. After almost four decades under U.S. administration, the Marshall Islands attained independence in 1986 under a Compact of Free Association. In 1991, the Marshall Islands joined the United Nations as a fully recognized independent and sovereign republic. As is typical with many other small island economies, the Marshall Islands suffers from development constraints including a narrow production and export base, isolated geography, limited natural resources, and vulnerability to external shocks. The country is heavily dependent on external assistance, mainly from the United States under the Compact of Free Association.