Java has been around since the mid-1990s but has increasingly gained popularity.
According to the TIOBE Index, Java is now the most programmed language in the world, gaining popularity over the second most programmed language C.
Java is object-oriented meaning that it is extensible and allows code re-use.
Due to its object-oriented nature, it is possible to create Java applications quickly and easily.
Java is one of the best languages for developing web applications and much of today's programming is for the web.
Using JSP, Struts and Servlets, a programmer can rapidly develop web applications.
Those are only three of the many frameworks that have been developed for Java.
New frameworks are hitting the market all of the time.
Furthermore, Java can be used for desktop applications.
One time, I wrote a webcam security application that detected motion and sent photos to an email address every time someone moved in front of the camera.
Doing so in another computer programming language might have proved daunting.
Another desktop application written in Java is the popular TripleA board game.
So Java can be used both for web applications as well as for desktop applications.
That means it gives you a full range of possibilities for its use.
There are no limits to the possibilities of Java development.
Previously, Java had been deemed to slow for use in many applications, but with the increases in processor speed that we are now witnessing for computers, the use of Java is well entrenched.
If you are looking to start learning a language, you might want to consider Java, as it is still growing both in functionality and in popularity.
Java is definitely the language that I would recommend to a novice programmer.