Zig is a relatively new programming language that aims to be a modern alternative to C, providing a simple and efficient approach to systems programming. Developed by Andrew Kelley, Zig emphasizes safety, performance, and maintainability, making it particularly appealing for low-level programming tasks, such as operating system development, embedded systems, and game engines. The language has gained attention for its ability to produce optimized binaries while also being easy to use and read.