In the previous section, we have seen that a Git repository can be imagined as a tree that, starting from a root (the root-commit), grows upward through one or more branches.

These branches are generally distinguished by a name. In this Git is no exception; if you remember, the experiments conducted so far led us to commit to the master branch of our test repository. Master is precisely the name of the default branch of a Git repository, somewhat like trunk is for Subversion.

But Subversion analogies end here: we will now see how Git handles branches, and for Subversion users it will be a little surprising.