The encyclopaedia focuses on the cultural region consisting of Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti as well as parts of the Sudan and Somalia. It additionally covers the relationships of the core zone with other regions, including Oriental and Occidental countries. The central thematic areas are history, languages, literatures, ethnology, religion, culture, society and arts. While most of the articles gear towards history, many also cover recent political and economical developments. Biographic entries provide information on personalities who played an important role in cultural or social life, or who have contributed greatly to our knowledge of the region. 275 authors from 40 countries have merged their efforts to present known and innovative research results in over 1050 articles; illustrations and maps offer additional information. The use is facilitated by cross references as well as comprehensive bibliographic references.