(Updated 15 July 2015: Added a huge simplification. Jump straight to the update at the end.)
URL fragments are strings of characters that follow a hash mark (#) in the URL. Typically, they are used for anchor links, where following a link keeps you on the same page but jumps the browser to some anchored position. They’re also the tool of choice for single-page apps, where content is served dynamically without page reloads.