This document provides an introduction and overview of databases. It discusses what a database is, the functions of databases which include storing and retrieving data, multiuser access control, data storage management, backup and recovery, and transaction atomicity. It also describes different types of databases such as relational, document oriented, embedded, graph, hypertext, distributed, and operational databases. Finally, it lists some common applications of databases in banking, airlines, universities, credit cards, sales, and human resources.