⏱️ Lectura: 6 min
Python is now one of the most widely used programming languages in the world and tops several of the main popularity rankings. Its clear, readable syntax makes it ideal both for someone just starting to code and for teams building complex systems. Behind its growth lies a huge ecosystem: a very complete standard library and hundreds of thousands of third-party packages covering everything from web development to artificial intelligence.
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It is a general-purpose, high-level, interpreted language that supports several programming paradigms. It’s used in data science, machine learning, web development, automation, DevOps, and scientific computing, which makes it one of the most sought-after profiles in the job market. It also serves to build desktop applications, integrate components written in other languages, or prototype ideas quickly.
Prototyping is precisely one of its strongest traits and one of the reasons it’s so widely used in teaching. You can build a working prototype in just a few lines and, if you later need more performance, port the critical parts to languages like C or C++, often without leaving Python’s own ecosystem.
What is Python?
Python is an interpreted programming language whose philosophy emphasizes readable code. It is cross-platform and supports object orientation, imperative programming, and, to a large extent, functional programming. It uses dynamic typing, though for years now it has allowed you to add optional type annotations to document and check code with external tools.
It is managed by the Python Software Foundation and distributed under an open-source license called the Python Software Foundation License, which is compatible with the GNU General Public License (GPL). Unlike the GPL, it is not a copyleft license, so you can modify the code and create derivative works without any obligation to release them as open source.
The current version is Python 3.14, released in October 2025. An important note for anyone arriving today: Python 2 stopped receiving support on January 1, 2020. Every new project should use Python 3, and any tutorial still teaching Python 2 is outdated.
What is Python used for today?
Much of its recent popularity comes from the rise of data science and artificial intelligence, fields where Python is practically the standard. These are its most common uses:
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning: it’s the dominant language thanks to libraries like PyTorch, TensorFlow, and scikit-learn.
- Data science and analytics: pandas, NumPy, and Jupyter notebooks are the foundation of the daily work of analysts and data scientists.
- Web development (backend): frameworks like Django, Flask, and FastAPI power sites and APIs of all sizes.
- Automation and scripting: repetitive tasks, file handling, scraping, and small utilities that save hours of work.
- DevOps and infrastructure: automation and deployment tools, cloud integration, and orchestration.
- Scientific computing: simulations, numerical computation, and visualization in research and engineering.
Your first program in Python
The best way to understand why people love it so much is to see it. Here’s the classic “Hello, world” and an example with variables:
# Your first program
print("Hola, mundo")
# Variables with dynamic typing: you don't declare the type, Python infers it
nombre = "Ada"
edad = 36
print(f"{nombre} tiene {edad} años")
Its clear syntax shows in operations that would take several lines in other languages. Here we calculate the squares of the even numbers from 0 to 9 with a single expression:
# List comprehension: readable and concise
cuadrados = [n * n for n in range(10) if n % 2 == 0]
print(cuadrados) # [0, 4, 16, 36, 64]
And if you want to document and check your types, you can add optional annotations:
def saludar(nombre: str) -> str:
return f"Hola, {nombre}"
print(saludar("mundo"))
A bit of history
Python’s beginnings date back to the late 1980s at the CWI Research Center (Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica) in Amsterdam, led by researcher Guido van Rossum. At the time, CWI worked with a language called ABC, and Van Rossum decided to create a new language that would overcome the limitations and problems he had encountered while working with ABC. That motivation gave rise to Python.
The first version of the language was released in 1991, and version 1.0 arrived in 1994. Initially CWI released the interpreter under its own open-source license, but in September 2000, coinciding with the release of version 1.6, the decision was made to switch to a GPL-compatible license. That new license came to be known as the Python Software Foundation License and, since it is not copyleft, it allows you to modify the code and develop derivative software without any obligation to release it as open source.
The origin of the name: Monty Python
The name of this famous language is a tribute to the television series Monty Python’s Flying Circus, of which Guido van Rossum was a big fan. This comedy series, starring the comedy group Monty Python (famous for films like Life of Brian and The Meaning of Life), inspired the name because from the start the goal was for Python to be a language that was fun to use.
A curious detail: many tutorials and code examples use Monty Python references. For instance, instead of the traditional variable names foo and bar, it’s common to find spam and eggs, a nod to one of their best-known sketches.
How to get started
Getting started with Python takes just a few minutes. Download the latest version from python.org (on Windows, check the “Add Python to PATH” box during installation). On macOS and Linux it usually comes preinstalled, though it’s a good idea to install the most recent version.
Verify the installation and create an isolated virtual environment for your project, the recommended practice to avoid mixing dependencies from different projects:
# Check the installed version
python3 --version
# Create and activate an isolated virtual environment
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate # on Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate
# Install third-party packages with pip
pip install requests
From there you can save your code in a programa.py file and run it with python3 programa.py. If you prefer a more modern, faster workflow for managing versions and dependencies, tools like uv have become very popular in the community.
Conclusion
Python combines a gentle learning curve with a very high ceiling: you can write your first script in minutes and, over time, build artificial intelligence systems or complete web platforms on the same foundations. That versatility, along with a huge community and a library ecosystem that’s hard to match, explains why it keeps growing almost four decades after its creation. If you’re thinking about learning to program, it’s one of the best starting points there is.
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