F# is a functional programming language that runs on .NET and was created by Microsoft. It is part of the OCaml family of languages and is included in Visual Studio 2010. F# uses immutable values by default whereas other languages like C# use mutable values. F# code is more succinct due to its support for type inference and ability to write standalone functions without needing to be part of a class. F# also supports object-oriented programming and imperative programming. It allows for strong typing while keeping syntax clean.