Wide angle lenses are usually used for scenic shots/outdoors to get the most view.
No offense, but if you don't know what the lenses are for or what type you want or need for your shots, chances are you are stepping into SLR photography too early. I might recommend a Canon PowerShot G5 or Nikon CoolPix 8400. Won't hurt the pocketbook too much, but both give you great felxibility in shooting, but with a fixed lens.
If you know your stuff already and know you want SLR, then I'm sorry for the paragraph above.