SQL queries are the language used to communicate with relational databases. They are essential for extracting, manipulating, and managing data. Different types of queries serve different purposes. SELECT statements are used to retrieve data, INSERT statements to add new data, UPDATE statements to modify existing data, and DELETE statements to remove data. Understanding the structure and syntax of these queries is crucial for any database interaction. Each query type has specific clauses and conditions that can be combined to achieve complex data manipulation tasks. For instance, you can use WHERE clauses to filter data based on specific criteria, ORDER BY clauses to sort the results, and JOIN clauses to combine data from multiple tables.