Python is a versatile programming language created by Guido van Rossum in 1989. It can be used to build a wide range of applications, including desktop GUIs, web applications, data analysis, machine learning, and games. Python code is often simpler and more readable than other languages like C++ and Java due to its clear syntax and dynamic typing. It supports both procedural and object-oriented programming, and can be compiled as well as interpreted, running on many platforms.