A

database is a collection of information that is organized so that it can easily be accessed,

managed, and updated. In one view, databases can be classified according to types of content:
bibliographic, full-text, numeric, and images.

HISTORY
The database concept has evolved since the 1960s to ease increasing difficulties in designing,
building, and maintaining complex information systems (typically with many concurrent endusers, and with a diverse large amount of data). It has evolved together with the evolvement of
Database management systems (DBMSs) which enable the effective handling of databases.

SQL often referred to as Structured Query Language) is a programming

language designed for managing data in relational database management
systems (RDBMS).
Three types of people are involved with a general-purpose DBMS:
1. DBMS developers - These are the people that design and build the DBMS
product, and the only ones who touch its code. They are typically the employees
of a DBMS vendor (e.g., Oracle, IBM, Microsoft), or, in the case of Open
source DBMSs (e.g., MySQL), volunteers or people supported by interested
companies and organizations. They are typically skilled systems programmers.
DBMS development is a complicated task, and some of the popular DBMSs
have been under development and enhancement (also to follow progress in
technology) for decades.
2. Application developers and Database administrators - These are the people
that design and build a database-based application that uses the DBMS. The
latter group members design the needed database and maintain it. The first
group members write the needed application programs which the application
comprises. Both are well familiar with the DBMS product and use its user
interfaces for their work. Sometimes the application itself is packaged and sold
as a separate product, which may include the DBMS inside or sold separately as
an add-on to the DBMS.
3. Application's end-users (e.g., accountants, insurance people, medical doctors,
etc.) - These people know the application and its end-user interfaces, but need
neither to know nor to understand the underlying DBMS. Thus, though
comprising the intended and main beneficiaries of a DBMS, they are only
indirectly involved with it.

DATABASE TYPE AND EXAMPLE

Active database
Analytical database
Cloud database
Data warehouse
Distributed database
Document-oriented database
Embedded database
End-user database
External database
Graph database
Hypermedia databases
In-memory database
Knowledge base
Operational database
Parallel database
Real-time database
Spatial database
Temporal database
Unstructured data database

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Database#Database_type_examples
The basic steps in planning a database are as follows:
1. Collect information
2. Identify key objects or entities
3. Model key objects
4. Identify the types of information for each object or entity

5. Identify the relationships between objects or entities

A database model is the theoretical foundation of a database and fundamentally determines in
which manner data can be stored, organized, and manipulated in a database system. It thereby
defines the infrastructure offered by a particular database system. The most popular example
of a database model is the relational model.

Common models include:

Flat Model
Hierarchical model
Network model
Relational model
Dimensional model
Object-relational model
Object model

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Database_model