洪都拉斯百科知识

Honduras' five months of political tension have sparked international outrage and isolation. Here is a brief introduction to the country.

We'll be crossing shortly to our correspondent in Honduras to bring you the very latest.

The Republic of Honduras is in Central America. The Caribbean Sea is to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the south through the Gulf of Fonseca.

The country covers some 110 thousand square kilometers, with a population of about 8 million. The capital Tegucigalpa is the largest city.

In 1979, the country returned from a military authoritarian regime to civilian rule.

The economy has been growing slowly. Half of the population remain below the poverty line. More than 1 million people are unemployed. The World Bank says Honduras is the third poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, after Haiti and Nicaragua.

The constitutional crisis since June has caused waves of turbulence, and further hardship to Hondurans' lives.