Java is a high-level programming language that is class-based, object-oriented, and specifically designed to have as few implementation dependencies as possible. It was developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems (now owned by Oracle Corporation) and was released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. Java is designed to run on any device that has a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) installed, making it one of the most versatile programming languages in the world. It is used to build a wide range of applications, including desktop applications, mobile apps, web applications, games, and more.