Scala is a general-purpose programming language that is statically typed, object-oriented, and functional. It was designed to be concise and expressive and to make it easy to build scalable and maintainable software. Scala is well-suited for use in a wide range of applications, including data analysis, web development, and scientific computing. It is often used in conjunction with the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), and it is fully interoperable with Java code. Some of the key features of Scala include a strong type system, support for immutable values, and a powerful pattern-matching system.