French Language & Literature: Encyclopedias

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Why background?

Background sources  (encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, etc.) provide well established summary and factual information. Useful for:

  • basic concepts and established viewpoints
  • historical context and relationships to other topics
  • specialized terms and definitions
  • data, facts, formulas

General encyclopedias, French language and online

Here are a couple of free and online French-language encyclopedia websites.  The Larousse site has its roots in the print edition of the Grande Encyclopédie from the publisher Larousse, which the Libraries own.  Click here for more information about print encyclopedias ...

General encyclopedias, in print, French language

Country reports

Try the following sources for information about individual countries.

Online reference collections