Encyclopedia.com
This impressive concise encyclopedia has 14,000 short articles on a wide range of topics, with numerous hyperlinks between the articles. It's the free front end of the Electric Library pay service, and links to "Premium Resources" will require you to sign up. At present there is a free 30-day trial.

Information Please
A network of almanacs on the world, sport, business and entertainment, with a Homework Centre, dictionary and encyclopedia, this is a good place to start if you are in search of hard facts. With featured articles and sections on facts behind the news, this is a valuable resource, despite its US bias.

Internet Encyclopedia
An encylopedia created by linking to information available on the net - meaning that it is as up-to-the-minute, reliable and random as the web itself.