Book excerpt: Civil Engineering is the component of Encyclopedia of Physical Sciences, Engineering and Technology Resources in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. Civil Engineering is the oldest of the engineering specialties and has contributed very much to develop our society throughout the long history of human life. The advancement of civil engineering has, therefore, been closely related to that of civilization. In this theme, human activities on the earth from ancient times to the present are briefly reviewed first, and then the history of the process to establish the civil engineering discipline is discussed for better understanding of the important role that civil engineering has played in the growth of a mature society, from both technological and social points of view. Broad diversification of civil engineering has resulted from the enormous expansion of society during the latter half of the twentieth century. The various branches are briefly described to show the notable characters that civil engineering has formed to maintain the sustainable development of society. The Theme on Civil Engineering with contributions from distinguished experts in the field provides the essential aspects and fundamentals of civil engineering. The two volumes are aimed at the following five major target audiences: University and College Students Educators, Professional Practitioners, Research Personnel and Policy Analysts, Managers, and Decision Makers, NGOs and GOs.