Scala is a high-level, general-purpose programming language that runs on the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). It was designed to be a modern, concise, and expressive language that combines both object-oriented and functional programming paradigms.
Scala was created by Martin Odersky and first released in 2003. Its syntax is similar to Java, but it also includes features such as type inference, pattern matching, and higher-order functions that make it more expressive and concise than Java.
Scala has gained popularity in recent years, particularly in the big data and distributed systems domains, due to its support for functional programming and its ability to seamlessly interoperate with Java code and libraries. It is also used in web development, machine learning, and other fields.
Overall, Scala is a powerful and flexible programming language that has found a growing community of developers and users.