C++ is an object-oriented programming language created by Bjarne Stroustrup in 1985 that maintains aspects of C while adding object-oriented features like classes. C++ can be used to create everything from small programs to large applications and is a powerful general-purpose language. Inheritance allows code reusability by creating new classes from existing classes or base classes, where derived classes inherit capabilities from base classes but can add their own features and refinements. Polymorphism enables objects to react differently to the same function call through virtual functions, allowing different classes that inherit from a base class to provide their own implementation of a function.