Every article on Wikipedia is created by people, and backed by reliable sources.
Here’s why you can trust Wikipedia
The nonprofit Wikimedia Foundation provides the essential infrastructure for free knowledge. We host Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia, created, edited, and verified by volunteers around the world, as well as many other vital community projects. All of which is made possible thanks to donations from individuals like you. We welcome anyone who shares our vision to join us in collecting and sharing knowledge that fully represents human diversity.
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1
Wikimedia projects belong to everyone
You made it. It is yours to use. For free. That means you can use it, adapt it, or share what you find on Wikimedia sites. Just do not write your own bio, or copy/paste it into your homework.
2
We respect your data and privacy
We do not sell your email address or any of your personal information to third parties. More information about our privacy practices are available at the Wikimedia Foundation privacy policy, donor privacy policy, and data retention guidelines.
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People like you keep Wikipedia accurate
Readers verify the facts. Articles are collaboratively created and edited by a community of volunteers using reliable sources, so no single person or company owns a Wikipedia article. The Wikimedia Foundation does not write or edit, but you and everyone you know can help.
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Not all wikis are Wikimedia
The word “wiki” refers to a website built using collaborative editing software. Projects with no past or existing affiliation with Wikipedia or the Wikimedia Foundation, such as Wikileaks and wikiHow, also use the term. Although these sites also use “wiki” in their name, they have nothing to do with Wikimedia.
Research
We conduct our own research and partner with researchers worldwide to address change in society and technology.
More about researchTechnology
From site reliability to machine learning, our open-source technology makes Wikipedia faster, more reliable, and more accessible worldwide.
More about technologyCollaborative projects are the core of the Wikimedia movement
Our volunteers build tools, share photos, write articles, and are working to connect all the knowledge that exists.
Wikipedia
Free encyclopedia written in over 300 languages by volunteers around the world.
Wikimedia Commons
The world’s largest free-to-use-library of illustrations, photos, drawings, videos and music.
See what we have been up to
Ahead of UN General Assembly, Wikipedia nonprofit calls on governments to ensure the future internet is shaped by communities for the public interest
21 September 2024, New York USA ― As UN Member States are gathering in New York for the 79th United Nations General Assembly, the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that hosts Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects, is calling on governments and the UN to ensure that stakeholders from all sectors can work together in deciding how….
Wikimania 2024 in Poland celebrates global volunteers who make Wikipedia and sister projects possible
The nineteenth edition of the global event will take place in Katowice, Poland (the 2024 European City of Science), from 7 – 10 August.
Wikimedians are heroes of free knowledge
Emily Temple-Wood
Editor since 2007, Wikimedia communitySam Oyeyele
Editor since 2011, Wikimedia communityMay Hachem
Editor since 2013, Wikimedia communityThroughout history, knowledge has been controlled by a powerful few. Wikipedia needs knowledge from all languages and cultures. The internet has become the default for accessing information—women, people of color, and the global south remain underrepresented. We invite you to help correct history.
Help us unlock the world’s knowledge.
As a nonprofit, Wikipedia and our related free knowledge projects are powered primarily through donations.
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Photo credits
Victor Grigas/Wikimedia Foundation
Zachary McCune/Wikimedia Foundation
Jason Krüger/Wikimedia Deutschland e.V.