- Java was created at Sun Microsystems in 1991 to provide a platform-independent programming language. It is an object-oriented language similar to C++ but simpler and more robust.
- Java code is compiled into bytecode that can run on any Java Virtual Machine (JVM), allowing "write once, run anywhere" capability. The JVM handles running the bytecode.
- Java supports object-oriented programming features like abstraction, encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism. It also supports features like being distributed, multithreaded, secure, and using automatic memory management.