C++ is a cross-platform, statically-typed, compiled, general-purpose programming language that extends the C language with modern capabilities. Developed by Bjarne Stroustrup at Bell Labs in 1979, it was initially named "C with Classes" before being renamed to C++ in 1983. It acts as a middle-level language, combining the speed and low-level memory control of C with high-level abstractions like Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)