Java is a popular general-purpose programming language that is widely used for developing a wide range of applications, including desktop software, mobile apps, web applications, games, and more. Java was first developed in the mid-1990s by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems (now owned by Oracle Corporation) and has since become one of the most widely used programming languages in the world.

Java is an object-oriented language, which means that it supports concepts such as classes, objects, and inheritance. Java programs are typically compiled to bytecode, which is then interpreted by the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). This architecture allows Java programs to be platform-independent, meaning that they can run on any system that has a JVM installed, regardless of the underlying hardware and operating system.

Some of the key features of Java include its robustness, portability, security, and ease of use. Java is known for its large standard library, which includes a wide range of classes and functions for performing common programming tasks. Additionally, there are a wealth of third-party libraries and frameworks available for Java, which can make it easier to develop complex applications.

Java is used by a wide range of industries and organizations, from financial services to e-commerce to government agencies. Some of the most popular applications built with Java include the Android mobile operating system, the Hadoop big data processing framework, and the Minecraft video game.