An umbrella is a canopy of material attached to a pole. The canopy is supported by a system of metal wires, which also help to open and close the umbrella. The canopy can be made out of various materials, the most common being nylon. An umbrella can be used to protect someone from the rain or to shade someone from the sun. Beach umbrellas have long poles in order to push them into the sand, while rain umbrellas typically have shorter poles with a handle for portable use.