AMQP 1.0 is a standard messaging protocol that allows for secure, reliable message transfer between applications. It uses a layered model with a transport/connection security layer, frame transfer protocol, and message transfer protocol. Messages are transferred between nodes organized in a container/node topology. The core protocol elements include connections, sessions to multiplex communication over connections, and links to transfer messages between nodes. Flow control manages message throughput at both the session and link level. Data is encoded on the wire using AMQP's type system which defines primitive types like strings, numbers, and composite types.