Explain PostgreSQL partitioning and its benefits.

Partitioning divides large tables into smaller, manageable pieces while appearing as a single table.

Partition Types:

Range Partitioning:
• Based on value ranges
• Common for dates/timestamps
• Example: Monthly sales data

List Partitioning:
• Based on specific values
• Example: By country/region

Hash Partitioning:
• Even distribution
• Good for load balancing

Benefits:
• Improved query performance
• Easier maintenance
• Parallel processing
• Faster backups/restores
• Constraint exclusion