The sole objective of this Encyclopaedia is to explore the descriptive summaries-off 188 ethnic groups written by noted scholars which range from a few lines to ten pages in length. Each entry deals with the physical, historical, social, political, economic, religiouis and cultural information about the ethnic groups of 14 South-east Asian countries: Burma, Brunel, Cambodia, East Timor, Hongkong, Indonesia, Laos, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. We have also described the factors that have caused the culture to change over time and place. Summaries of each entry usually provide information on the following aspects; physical features, history and cultural relations, social life, marriage and family, social organization and control, political organization, economic activities, science, and further reading for advance studies. The task which we have performed here is, no doubt, beset with difficulties but we shall consider our labour amply rewarded if this monumental work is found useful by scholars and readers of the ethnographical study South-east Asia.