1.1. The capabilities of Perl

Strings and data structures that are unlimited in size, nested to any depth.
Powerful syntax and built-in functions.
Extended, built-in support for regular expressions.
Support for namespaces, classes, and objects.
Functional Programming capabilities such as closures and continuations.
CPAN - a comprehensive on-line archive of easily installable and re-usable modules.
Powerful debugger with optional visual front-ends.
Runs on almost any platform imaginable.
Relatively portable and secure code.