A relational database is a structured data storage system that organizes information into tables with rows and columns, allowing for efficient data retrieval, management, and relationships between datasets. Unlike unstructured data storage, relational databases use SQL (Structured Query Language) to query and manipulate data, making them ideal for transactional applications, business analytics, and cloud computing.

Relational databases are widely used in enterprise applications, customer relationship management (CRM), financial systems, and e-commerce platforms. Cloud-based relational databases offer scalability, automatic backups, and high availability, allowing businesses to store and access structured data from anywhere securely.

Cloud providers enable fully managed relational database services, ensuring optimal performance while reducing operational complexity, making them a critical component of data-driven business strategies and real-time analytics.