In PostgreSQL, a view is a virtual table created by a query. It behaves like a table but doesn't store data itself; instead, it's a saved query that can be referenced like a table. Views are useful for simplifying complex queries, providing an abstracted layer over tables, and controlling access to data.

Explanation:
1. A view is defined by a SQL query and has a name.
2. The view's data is dynamically generated based on the query whenever the view is queried.
3. Views can simplify complex joins or aggregations and abstract the underlying data structure for users.

 
Example:
Suppose you have a database with a table orders containing order information with columns like `order_id`, `customer_id`, and `order_date`. You want to create a view that shows only the orders placed by a specific customer. Here's how you can do it:

-- Create a view named "customer_orders" to show orders for a specific customer 
CREATE VIEW customer_orders AS 
SELECT order_id, order_date 
FROM orders 
WHERE customer_id = '12345';