  Significant progress has been made over the last few years to explore the
gaseous halo of the Milky Way by way of absorption spectroscopy. I review
recent results on absorption line studies in the halo using various
instruments, such as the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer, the Space
Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, and others. The new studies imply that the
infall of low-metallicity gas, the interaction with the Magellanic Clouds, and
the Galactic Fountain are responsible for the phenomenon of the intermediate-
and high-velocity clouds in the halo. New measurements of highly-ionized gas in
the vicinity of the Milky Way indicate that these clouds are embedded in a
corona of hot gas that extends deep into the intergalactic space.
