You will need to run searches for specific concepts, events, and people, e.g., magical realism, Mexican Revolution, Pinochet, etc. Consider that your searches should resemble searches you would do in a resource like Wikipedia.
These databases provide facts and overviews about countries and offer historical background information.
You can find entries from these reference eBooks and more in the general reference databases listed on this page. Encyclopedias aren't meant to be read cover to cover. Instead, you will use specific short articles from encyclopedias.