  The spectrum of the hard X-ray background records the history of accretion
processes integrated over the cosmic time. Several pieces of observational and
theoretical evidence indicate that a significant fraction of the energy density
is obscured by large columns of gas and dust. The absorbing matter is often
very thick, with column densities exceeding N_H > 1.5 10^24 cm-2, the value
corresponding to unity optical depth for Compton scattering. These sources are
called ``Compton thick'' and appear to be very numerous, at least in the nearby
universe. Although Compton thick Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) are thought to
provide an important contribution to the overall cosmic energy budget, their
space density and cosmological evolution are poorly known. The properties of
Compton thick AGN are reviewed here, with particular emphasis on their
contributions to the extragalactic background light in the hard X-ray and
infrared bands.
