Conventional relational databases often do not have the technology required to handle complex data like spatial data. Unlike the traditional applications of databases, spatial applications require that databases understand complex data types like points, lines, and polygons. Typically, operations on these types are complex when compared to the operations on simple types. Hence relational database systems need to be extended in several areas to facilitate the storage and retrieval of spatial data. Several research reports have described the requirements from a database system and prioritized the research needs in this area.