# The COBOL programming language

One of the oldest languages alongside [FORTRAN](cs-langs-specific-fortran.md), [Lisp](cs-langs-specific-lisp.md) and ALGOL, created in 1959.

The language processes information *fast*, which is why about 70% of financial transactions are *still* written in COBOL.

Syntax for COBOL is designed to be human-readable code, as opposed to the mathematically-based language of the time. Most languages have done more and better since then.

Its awkwardness (it doesn't do recursion) along with its general unfashionable nature make it *very* hard to find good COBOL programmers.