====== Encyclopedia ======

An encyclopedia is a type of reference work that contains information on all branches of knowledge or a particular branch of knowledge. Encyclopedias are divided into articles or entries, each of which is devoted to a particular subject or object.

The word encyclopedia comes from the Greek ἐγκύκλιος παιδεία (egkyklios paideia), meaning "general education." The first known use of the word was in the title of a work by Diodorus Siculus, a Greek historian who lived in the first century BCE.

Encyclopedias have been published in many different formats, including print, digital, and online. The first print encyclopedia was the Naturalis Historia of Pliny the Elder, which was published in Rome in 77 CE. This work contained 37 books and over 7,000 entries.

The most famous print encyclopedia is the Encyclopédie, which was published in France in the 18th century. This work was edited by Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembert and contained over 70,000 entries.

Today, one of the largest online encyclopedia is Wikipedia, which was launched in 2001. Wikipedia is a collaborative project that anyone can edit. It currently contains over 5,000,000 articles in English.