CREATE DATABASE [IF NOT EXISTS] db_name
    [create_specification [create_specification] ...]

create_specification:
    [DEFAULT] CHARACTER SET charset_name
  | [DEFAULT] COLLATE collation_name

CREATE DATABASE creates a database with the given name. To use this statement, you need the CREATE privilege for the database.

An error occurs if the database exists and you did not specify IF NOT EXISTS.

As of MySQL 4.1.1, create_specification options specify database characteristics. Database characteristics are stored in the db.opt file in the database directory. The CHARACTER SET clause specifies the default database character set. The COLLATE clause specifies the default database collation. Chapter 10, Character Set Support, discusses character set and collation names.

A database in MySQL is implemented as a directory containing files that correspond to tables in the database. Because there are no tables in a database when it is initially created, the CREATE DATABASE statement only creates a directory under the MySQL data directory (and the db.opt file, for MySQL 4.1.1 and up). Rules for allowable database names are given in Section 9.2, “Database, Table, Index, Column, and Alias Names”.

If you manually create a directory under the data directory (for example, with mkdir), the server considers it a database directory and it shows up in the output of SHOW DATABASES.

You can also use the mysqladmin program to create databases. See Section 8.9, “mysqladmin — Client for Administering a MySQL Server”.