Java is a programming language that was developed by Sun Microsystems (now owned by Oracle) in the mid-1990s. It is a high-level, object-oriented language that is designed to be easy to use and easy to learn. It is a compiled language, which means that it is translated into machine code that can be directly executed by a computer's processor. It is a popular choice for developing a wide range of applications, including mobile apps, web applications, and games.