Spatial Databases allow the storage of the geometries of records inside a Database as well as providing functionality for querying and retrieving the records using these Geometries. In this module we will use PostGIS, an extension to PostgreSQL, to learn how to setup a spatial database, import data from shapefiles into the database and make use of the geographic functions that PostGIS offers.
While working through this section, you may want to keep a copy of the PostGIS cheat sheet available from Boston GIS user group. Another useful resource is the online PostGIS documentation.
There are also some more extensive tutorials on PostGIS and Spatial Databases available from Boundless Geo:
See also PostGIS online.