Machine generated contents note: 1. Introduction; 2. Brief history of coronal studies; 3. The coronal spectrum; 4. The solar cycle; 5. Ground-based observations; 6. Observations from space: I. The first 4 decades; 7. Activity of the inner corona; 8. Observations from space: II. Recent missions; 9. The solar wind; 10. Solar flares and coronal mass ejections; Notes; References; Index.