A static website is a collection of web pages with fixed content that is delivered to the user's browser exactly as stored. Unlike dynamic websites that generate content on-the-fly from databases, static sites consist of pre-built HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files.

When you visit a static site, your browser requests these files from the web server, which simply sends them without any processing. This makes static websites:

• Extremely fast - No database queries or server-side processing delays
• Highly secure - Minimal attack surface with no databases or server-side scripts
• Cost-effective - Requires less server resources and maintenance
• Reliable - Fewer points of failure compared to complex dynamic systems

Static websites are ideal for:

• Portfolio websites and online resumes
• Company brochures and informational sites
• Documentation and knowledge bases
• Landing pages and marketing campaigns

Modern static sites can still be interactive using JavaScript frameworks like React or Vue.js, and can be easily deployed through various hosting platforms. While they don't handle user-generated content like forums or e-commerce natively, they can integrate with third-party services for these functionalities.

For hosting, static sites require basic web hosting or specialized static hosting services that often offer global CDN distribution, automatic SSL certificates, and continuous deployment from version control systems like GitHub.